Yesterday we had our audience screening of The Case.
I was very pleased with the turnout and I'm pretty sure every enjoyed watching our sequence. After getting the questionnaires back in at the end we have a lot of good response which I have posted on the group blog.
Showing posts with label Research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Research. Show all posts
Friday, January 23, 2009
Monday, December 8, 2008
Main Shoot (How we got this far I don't know)
Its a frosty Monday in school and while we capture the footage of our masterpiece "the Case" I thought now would be a good time to reflect on the weekends filming experience. Disaster loomed over us from the previous 3 weeks experience of the project and a general pessimistic mood swept the room but it was safe to say as we set up our scene that the four of us were ready for some quality takes. Sadly we had a limited budget and could only afford pizza to pay actors but I suppose it's a school media project.
Day 1 : The Office / The Murder
After setting up a messy table in the back room for "the Office" and creating some great low key lighting with a small lamp our mise en scene looked promising. Our actor was ready for the role of detective and the villain had not yet turned up due to the fact he wasn't needed for these scenes. We split up the filming fairly taking around 3 clips each and rotating roles throughout. The corridor scene was generally successful and we got a good group of angles to use for the first set of match on actions, where the Detective walks from the back room, down the corridor, opens the front door, looks out and puts the chain on.
We then proceeded to the second location, the office itself where we managed to get a really good master shot of the area and lots of good pans for the montage of his desk. When the killer arrived we proceeded to do the killing itself which took quite a few takes, but the lighting worked really well in the end. It created good suspense and we didn't blow any bulbs (yes!). Both actors looked really great for the parts and acted them out accordingly, making the whole film have a sense of finally coming together.
After a brief break for some Pizza Go-Go all parties concerned were much more the merrier for the filming experience, especially myself (I got a whole one to myself, who doesn't like sweetcorn on a pizza?). We looked after our actors which was greatly appreciated. We then proceeded to the garden scene at around 9:00pm (not too conveniant) where the villain was making his escape. We finally got to use the studio lighting which I had been aching to do from the start of the project. We got some brilliant shadows and quite high key lighting, yet retained the night time feel using some blue filters to give it an eerie moonlit glow. We only managed to get up to the gate before Daniel needed to leave so we thought it unfair to continue without him.
By this point in the day people were also starting to get a bit stressed with eachother due to being in my house for the past 7 hours without many breaks from filming and planning. However at the end of the day I got some good footage on my own camera for the video blog (which will be coming to a blog near you at the end of the project!). Day 1 was over and about midnight I attempted to watch Sin City but fell asleep so thought it best to rest up for Day 2. Feeling slightly more positive about the whole project in general I got a good nights sleep!
Day 2 : The Garden / The Alley / Re Shoot & Extra Angles
The day started off with a positive, I was in a good mood when the group arrived at my house having spent the majority of the morning asleep and done little to nothing all day! However, this positive feeling lasted less than an hour as we got calls from both of our actors saying they would not be able to get there until 6:30pm and that Simon needed to leave between 8 and 9pm. I was quite happy with a lot of the shots from Day 1 but the rest of the group seemed very disheartened and I did get quite annoyed at them.
When we proceeded to take some extra mise en scene shots our first pointless argument occured. Myself and Simon were debating what shot number a certain shot was and both got very aggravated about the matter. After this I felt a bit rubbish as I felt I was letting the group down a bit. I was very tired and started to get stressed with everyone. This led to a generally negative filming experience for most of Day 2. Also when my brother got to the house at 6:30pm he'd just had a bad day so was not in the mood for filming. He was very eager to get all the scenes done as fast as possible and this led to a lot of takes being rushed and having to be re done. However when we got into the garden again, everything started to look up.
With the villain in the mood for filming everyone seemed ready to get it all out of the way and over with by the end of the evening. We proceeded through the alley and got lots of great scenes for the film and I was very pleased with the overall shoot. There was a brief moment of despair when we thought we had broken a light but it turned out that it was only the bulb (Thank goodness) and we had a spare anyway.
When all was finally over and done with you could hear the excitement in our voices as we took the last shot, or rather relief! Although I'm certain we'll be back next weekend for another ridiculous set of takes and re shoots, I am glad to say we have a huge number of shots to edit in the time being and could have a rough version of the film by the end of this week!
Hasta luego for now compadres
Nick
Day 1 : The Office / The Murder
After setting up a messy table in the back room for "the Office" and creating some great low key lighting with a small lamp our mise en scene looked promising. Our actor was ready for the role of detective and the villain had not yet turned up due to the fact he wasn't needed for these scenes. We split up the filming fairly taking around 3 clips each and rotating roles throughout. The corridor scene was generally successful and we got a good group of angles to use for the first set of match on actions, where the Detective walks from the back room, down the corridor, opens the front door, looks out and puts the chain on.
We then proceeded to the second location, the office itself where we managed to get a really good master shot of the area and lots of good pans for the montage of his desk. When the killer arrived we proceeded to do the killing itself which took quite a few takes, but the lighting worked really well in the end. It created good suspense and we didn't blow any bulbs (yes!). Both actors looked really great for the parts and acted them out accordingly, making the whole film have a sense of finally coming together.
After a brief break for some Pizza Go-Go all parties concerned were much more the merrier for the filming experience, especially myself (I got a whole one to myself, who doesn't like sweetcorn on a pizza?). We looked after our actors which was greatly appreciated. We then proceeded to the garden scene at around 9:00pm (not too conveniant) where the villain was making his escape. We finally got to use the studio lighting which I had been aching to do from the start of the project. We got some brilliant shadows and quite high key lighting, yet retained the night time feel using some blue filters to give it an eerie moonlit glow. We only managed to get up to the gate before Daniel needed to leave so we thought it unfair to continue without him.
By this point in the day people were also starting to get a bit stressed with eachother due to being in my house for the past 7 hours without many breaks from filming and planning. However at the end of the day I got some good footage on my own camera for the video blog (which will be coming to a blog near you at the end of the project!). Day 1 was over and about midnight I attempted to watch Sin City but fell asleep so thought it best to rest up for Day 2. Feeling slightly more positive about the whole project in general I got a good nights sleep!
Day 2 : The Garden / The Alley / Re Shoot & Extra Angles
The day started off with a positive, I was in a good mood when the group arrived at my house having spent the majority of the morning asleep and done little to nothing all day! However, this positive feeling lasted less than an hour as we got calls from both of our actors saying they would not be able to get there until 6:30pm and that Simon needed to leave between 8 and 9pm. I was quite happy with a lot of the shots from Day 1 but the rest of the group seemed very disheartened and I did get quite annoyed at them.
When we proceeded to take some extra mise en scene shots our first pointless argument occured. Myself and Simon were debating what shot number a certain shot was and both got very aggravated about the matter. After this I felt a bit rubbish as I felt I was letting the group down a bit. I was very tired and started to get stressed with everyone. This led to a generally negative filming experience for most of Day 2. Also when my brother got to the house at 6:30pm he'd just had a bad day so was not in the mood for filming. He was very eager to get all the scenes done as fast as possible and this led to a lot of takes being rushed and having to be re done. However when we got into the garden again, everything started to look up.
With the villain in the mood for filming everyone seemed ready to get it all out of the way and over with by the end of the evening. We proceeded through the alley and got lots of great scenes for the film and I was very pleased with the overall shoot. There was a brief moment of despair when we thought we had broken a light but it turned out that it was only the bulb (Thank goodness) and we had a spare anyway.
When all was finally over and done with you could hear the excitement in our voices as we took the last shot, or rather relief! Although I'm certain we'll be back next weekend for another ridiculous set of takes and re shoots, I am glad to say we have a huge number of shots to edit in the time being and could have a rough version of the film by the end of this week!
Hasta luego for now compadres
Nick
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Watchmen - Alan Moore 1986/Zack Snyder 2009
When I think through our Group Project, only one thing goes through my mind. That is that not only do I want people to think of Sin City, Blade Runner, and Film Noir when they watch our opening, but next March when the legend to be Watchmen invades our screen on 03/06/09, suddenly everyone will go "So that's what inspired them."So what is it? And why is it that I can safely bet most people reading this blog won't know what it is?
Watchmen is a comic book/graphic novel by esteemed writer Alan Moore and pencilled by artist Dave Gibbons. It was rated one of Time Magazine's 100 Best Novels and most comic book fans will tell you there is nothing that can challenge it. A single 12 part story arc set in a post-Vietnam America where Nixon is still president in 1985, where Nuclear War is on the brink and costumed heroes are banned. From the violent, vigilante detective Rorschach's first speech to the tremendous plot twists at the end the comic book world has not seen anything else of the sort. Heroes, with no powers, who have to fight for a better world. A genius with a plan to save humanity, a detective searching for the truth, a man who can move the very atoms inside him yet has nothing at all, an inventor longing for love. These characters are hardly the hero types, yet together it is up to them to stop something terrible from happening.
The reason this comic has inspired me in this project is through the character Rorschach (for a brief character analysis look at my group blog here). His concealing appearance, lack of morals, and general bad ass character make him such an amazing influence for both our protagonist and villain. He dresses like a film noir detective but rather than puzzling over problems will run into a building with a spray can and a lighter setting fire to policemen, or smashing a fellow prisoners head into a wall. He fights dirty, and that is why he wins. He understands the world far more than everyone else seems to simply because he sees its worst and lives to better that. I want to take all these aspects and use them to make our villain and hero have similar yet entirely different traits as we want part of our plot to be that at some time they may have been friends.
To finish off this brief review on how Watchmen has influenced our film opening I thought I'd leave you with the inspiration for our voice over, and the new trailer for Zack Snyder's 2009 film adaptation of this graphic masterpiece.
"Rorschach's Journal. October 12th, 1985. :
Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. This city is afraid of me. I have seen it's true face. The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the drains finally scab over all the vermin will drown. The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout "Save us!"...
...and I'll look down and whisper "no."
They had a choice, all of them. They could have followed in the footsteps of good men like my father, or president Truman. Decent men, who believed in a day's work for a day's pay. Instead they following the droppings of lechers and communists and didn't realize that the trail led over a precipice until it was too late. Don't tell me they didn't have a choice.
Now the whole world stands on the brink, staring down into bloody hell, all those liberals and intellectuals and smooth-talkers...and all of a sudden, nobody can think of anything to say."
Monday, November 3, 2008
Sound in films
For individual research I have studied the use of sound in films, and have summarised the work that we did in class.
Diegetic and Non-diegetic sound
-A film's world is known as the diegetic
-Thing's in this world are it's diegesis
-On and off screen sound is used to create a 3 dimensional world
-Off screen sound used to give us clues, for example smashing glass, or a scream
-Non-diegetic sound is added after the film, for example music or a voice over
Sound Bridges
-Used to link scenes together
-Will often hear the sound from the next scene before we see the image
-Gives the effect of a continuous world rather than a disjointed one
Contrapuntal sound
-These are sounds that do not match
-This can be the soundtrack or on screen
-Contrasting emotions e.g. sinister music in a seemingly happy scene
-Also called asynchronous sound
Parallel sound
-This is when the sound matches what is on screen
-Music fits with emotion of the scene
-e.g. suspenseful music in a stalking scene, loud fast paced music in a fight scene, beautiful slow music in a love scene
Foley sound
-SFX sounds
-These are added sometimes to enhance sounds or to create sounds which don't exist
-In Star Wars III they mix the sound of a lion and a zebra for one of the animals!
-Often gun shots will be enhanced to sound much more dramatic
All these different effects are used in films to add to the overall experience. They are useful things to think about when planning my own opening sequence, for example:
-The soundtrack
-On and off screen sounds
-Dialogue
-Foley effects
-Clever use of parallel and contrapuntal sound
Diegetic and Non-diegetic sound
-A film's world is known as the diegetic
-Thing's in this world are it's diegesis
-On and off screen sound is used to create a 3 dimensional world
-Off screen sound used to give us clues, for example smashing glass, or a scream
-Non-diegetic sound is added after the film, for example music or a voice over
Sound Bridges
-Used to link scenes together
-Will often hear the sound from the next scene before we see the image
-Gives the effect of a continuous world rather than a disjointed one
Contrapuntal sound
-These are sounds that do not match
-This can be the soundtrack or on screen
-Contrasting emotions e.g. sinister music in a seemingly happy scene
-Also called asynchronous sound
Parallel sound
-This is when the sound matches what is on screen
-Music fits with emotion of the scene
-e.g. suspenseful music in a stalking scene, loud fast paced music in a fight scene, beautiful slow music in a love scene
Foley sound
-SFX sounds
-These are added sometimes to enhance sounds or to create sounds which don't exist
-In Star Wars III they mix the sound of a lion and a zebra for one of the animals!
-Often gun shots will be enhanced to sound much more dramatic
All these different effects are used in films to add to the overall experience. They are useful things to think about when planning my own opening sequence, for example:
-The soundtrack
-On and off screen sounds
-Dialogue
-Foley effects
-Clever use of parallel and contrapuntal sound
Public opinion on films
In choosing what film genre to make for my opening sequence I decided to look at some opinion polls on film. For this I went on IMDB and Empire to try and find top lists.
IMDB:
Empire:
1. The Godfather (1972)
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
3. Star Wars Episode V: Empire Strikes Back (1980)
4. Shawsank Redemption (1994)
5. Jaws (1975)
6. GoodFellas (1990)
7. Apocalypse Now (1979)
8. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
9. Pulp Fiction (1994)
10. Fight Club (1999)
11. Raging Bull (1980)
12. The Apartment (1960)
13. Chinatown (1974)
14. Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)
15. The Dark Knight (2008)
16. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
17. Taxi Driver (1976)
18. Casablanca (1942)
19. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
20. Blade Runner (1982)
21. The Third Man (1949)
22. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
23. Back to the Future (1985)
24. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
25. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1967)
From these lists I see action, sci-fi and thrillers dominating the top spot with not a single comedy to be seen! It is very useful to see which sort of films dominate these charts as to what to choose for my genre
IMDB:
Empire:
1. The Godfather (1972)
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
3. Star Wars Episode V: Empire Strikes Back (1980)
4. Shawsank Redemption (1994)
5. Jaws (1975)
6. GoodFellas (1990)
7. Apocalypse Now (1979)
8. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
9. Pulp Fiction (1994)
10. Fight Club (1999)
11. Raging Bull (1980)
12. The Apartment (1960)
13. Chinatown (1974)
14. Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)
15. The Dark Knight (2008)
16. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
17. Taxi Driver (1976)
18. Casablanca (1942)
19. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
20. Blade Runner (1982)
21. The Third Man (1949)
22. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
23. Back to the Future (1985)
24. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
25. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1967)
From these lists I see action, sci-fi and thrillers dominating the top spot with not a single comedy to be seen! It is very useful to see which sort of films dominate these charts as to what to choose for my genre
Plot 7 actor choosing
I have decided to choose actors for Plot 7, set in a post-apocalyptic future where people have special powers. I have analysed 5 leading roles to which famous stars can be applied. The main character, the evil dictator, the rebel leader, the love interest and the toad like enemy.
For each I will say the actor I have chosen to play them and give backing as to why.
Main Character : Will Smith
I have chosen Will Smith as the main actor as he is generally a very good all round actor. He can be funny, serious, violent, peaceful, intelligent, dumb and sometimes all at once! He has a good repitoire of sci-fi films such as Men In Black, I Am Legend and Hancock. Hancock is most similar to this plot as he had super powers in that film and so he obviously will be able to fit the role. He is a widely loved actor and has a huge fan base in both music and movies so will attract many fans to the film
Evil Dictator : Sean Bean
Another flexible actor who has been in a variety of films. His performance in Goldeneye and The Lord Of The Rings is what drew my attention to him. In Goldeneye he plays the main villain and so obviously has had a past experience with this role. He is very good at playing sinister roles and has a look to him which suggests he is a good deceiver. A big trait of these sort of films is a leader who deceives his people into thinking he is good when really his motives are evil. Also in LOTR as Boromir he was drawn to the ring which brought out the anger and hate in him and gave him an aspect of betrayal. I think all these qualities will go well for an evil dictator and as he has a history for action films fans will know he is suitable for the role.
Rebel Leader : Bruce Willis
From his performances in Die Hard, Unbreakable and Sin City it was obvious to choose Bruce Willis for this role. Action hero extraordinare, he has played the role excellently on so many occasions. Sin City, a comic book film, and Unbreakable, a comic book style film both portrayed him as a hero and he has the typical do good sense to him while also being able to appear rugged. He looks very well built in most of his films which would be good for this kind of film and I see him as a sort of Riddick like appearance from Pitch Black, but with the same Star Wars like persona as the rebels, leading the good side to victory. I think he will be a perfect supporting character for Will Smith and the two would work well together.
Love Interest : Jessica Alba
Besides being constantly polled as one of the sexiest women in acting, she has managed to pull of age ranges from 18 in Sin City to mid 30s in other films. She is a very attractive actress and so will obviously appeal to a male audience but is also a very talented actress. After being in the Fantastic 4 films and Sin City it is also obvious that she has played this sort of role before and will therefore be well suited to this role, being flexible to many different personas. I also think that she will contrast well with Will Smith and the two will create a good romantic interest. Also having worked with Bruce Willis on Sin City the two have a good on screen connection.
Toad like enemy : Owen Wilson
As soon as I saw this character I was reminded of the character Toad from the X-Men comics and films. He is a witty character and brings comic relief to serious situations. Therefore I think Owen Wilson will be great for the role. He hosts a massive list of past comedies that he has starred in but has equally proved he can be semi-serious. He will be a good contrast to all the other characters and actors who are all quite serious in their careers and he will bring some good humour to the film. Also I'd love to see him looking green and toad like!
For each I will say the actor I have chosen to play them and give backing as to why.
Main Character : Will Smith
I have chosen Will Smith as the main actor as he is generally a very good all round actor. He can be funny, serious, violent, peaceful, intelligent, dumb and sometimes all at once! He has a good repitoire of sci-fi films such as Men In Black, I Am Legend and Hancock. Hancock is most similar to this plot as he had super powers in that film and so he obviously will be able to fit the role. He is a widely loved actor and has a huge fan base in both music and movies so will attract many fans to the filmEvil Dictator : Sean Bean
Another flexible actor who has been in a variety of films. His performance in Goldeneye and The Lord Of The Rings is what drew my attention to him. In Goldeneye he plays the main villain and so obviously has had a past experience with this role. He is very good at playing sinister roles and has a look to him which suggests he is a good deceiver. A big trait of these sort of films is a leader who deceives his people into thinking he is good when really his motives are evil. Also in LOTR as Boromir he was drawn to the ring which brought out the anger and hate in him and gave him an aspect of betrayal. I think all these qualities will go well for an evil dictator and as he has a history for action films fans will know he is suitable for the role.Rebel Leader : Bruce Willis
From his performances in Die Hard, Unbreakable and Sin City it was obvious to choose Bruce Willis for this role. Action hero extraordinare, he has played the role excellently on so many occasions. Sin City, a comic book film, and Unbreakable, a comic book style film both portrayed him as a hero and he has the typical do good sense to him while also being able to appear rugged. He looks very well built in most of his films which would be good for this kind of film and I see him as a sort of Riddick like appearance from Pitch Black, but with the same Star Wars like persona as the rebels, leading the good side to victory. I think he will be a perfect supporting character for Will Smith and the two would work well together.Love Interest : Jessica Alba
Besides being constantly polled as one of the sexiest women in acting, she has managed to pull of age ranges from 18 in Sin City to mid 30s in other films. She is a very attractive actress and so will obviously appeal to a male audience but is also a very talented actress. After being in the Fantastic 4 films and Sin City it is also obvious that she has played this sort of role before and will therefore be well suited to this role, being flexible to many different personas. I also think that she will contrast well with Will Smith and the two will create a good romantic interest. Also having worked with Bruce Willis on Sin City the two have a good on screen connection.Toad like enemy : Owen Wilson
As soon as I saw this character I was reminded of the character Toad from the X-Men comics and films. He is a witty character and brings comic relief to serious situations. Therefore I think Owen Wilson will be great for the role. He hosts a massive list of past comedies that he has starred in but has equally proved he can be semi-serious. He will be a good contrast to all the other characters and actors who are all quite serious in their careers and he will bring some good humour to the film. Also I'd love to see him looking green and toad like!
The Mummy (1999) Stephen Sommers
For my individual research I decided it would be good to watch a film in the genre I wish to make for my opening scene. Currently I am undecided between action/adventure and thriller so I chose the family adventure film The Mummy to watch.
The film takes place in Egypt where ancient priest Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) murders the Pharoah and is therefore sentenced to a fate worse than death. In 1923, adventurer and soldier Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) finds his tomb and along with other treasure hunters awakens the Mummy. He is joined by librarian Eveyln Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) and her brother Jonathan (John Hannah). Eventually they find a way to defeat him and all is well. For a full plot synopsis go to: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120616/plotsummary
I am going to now examine part of the opening scene from the film and make analysis on the camera angles and techniques used.
I am using from 1:11 until 2:43 to establish the main shots used.
Unlike in the Dark Knight clip that I analysed before, there are not many consistant angles as most of the clip is characters moving into the room and from it. Therefore I cannot analyse the way I did before where I analysed each camera's individual use. I will analyse each shot as a separate thing.
1:11 : Mid Long shot to Close up, forward track/crane
In this first shot we see Imhotep on a balcony looking over the city and the camera starts from behind him but as he turns goes into his face from a MLS to a CU.
1:21 : Mid Long shot to Mid Close Up, Reverse track
We see Anck Su Namun walking through a big gold door towards the camera.
1:29 : Very Long Shot, High Angle
We see her continue down the corridor and there is a match on action from the previous shot. We see her from a diagonal angle. The shot pans down slightly at the end of the clip.
1:31 : Mid Long Shot, side angle, crab
Another match on action, she continues down the corridor and we see the back of some priest's heads in the foreground and at the end of this shot we see a priest's face and it becomes a CU as she looks at him and he watches her walk off.
1:36 : Long shot, reverse track
This shot shows Anck Su Namun from behind walking towards the curtains and draws back to show the size of the room.
1:39 : Close up
We return to the previous shot of the priest and we have a pan left which turns the shot into a long shot as the priests close the door at the end of the corridor.
1:42 : Long shot to Two Shot, Track left
As Anck Su Namun walks into the room the camera also goes left and zooms in as she goes up to Imhotep and they kiss.
1:59 : Close Up
This shot is used to show Imhotep smear the paint on her arm which is how the two of them are found out. It starts slightly further out but zooms in as he rubs the paint.
2:03 : Long shot, zoom to MCU
This shot shows the priests closing the door but the Pharoah bursting in and the camera zooms in on him into an MCU as he talks. He then walks out of shot and we pan left to see the priests close the door behind him.
2:24 : Long shot
Pharoah behind the curtains and then starts to sweep them
2:26 : Over the shoulder shot
Match on action as he opens the curtains and then a forward track as he walks towards Anck Su Namun.
2:30 : Over the shoulder shot
Anck Su Namun's shoulder, looking at the Pharoah as he talks.
2:31 : Close Up
Anck Su Namun standing by the cat statue
2:33 : OTS shot, shot reverse shot
We go back to the previous shot of the Pharoah over Anck Su Namun's shoulder as he points at her to shout "who has touched you?"
2:35 : OTS shot
Looking at Anck Su Namun over the Pharoah's shoulder. We see her glance behind him
2:39 : OTS
Shot reverse shot again, and we can now see Imhotep in the corner of the frame which is obviously who Anck Su Namun was looking at in the previous shot. The Pharoah turns around and we pan slightly left
2:42 : Mid close up, OTS
We can see all 3 characters in shot and the rule of thirds is used to space them out equally to show the reaction as Imhotep takes the Pharoah's sword.
Overall I think this shot demonstrates some basic but effective camera techniques which will be useful for making my own opening sequence
The film takes place in Egypt where ancient priest Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) murders the Pharoah and is therefore sentenced to a fate worse than death. In 1923, adventurer and soldier Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) finds his tomb and along with other treasure hunters awakens the Mummy. He is joined by librarian Eveyln Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) and her brother Jonathan (John Hannah). Eventually they find a way to defeat him and all is well. For a full plot synopsis go to: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120616/plotsummary
I am going to now examine part of the opening scene from the film and make analysis on the camera angles and techniques used.
I am using from 1:11 until 2:43 to establish the main shots used.
Unlike in the Dark Knight clip that I analysed before, there are not many consistant angles as most of the clip is characters moving into the room and from it. Therefore I cannot analyse the way I did before where I analysed each camera's individual use. I will analyse each shot as a separate thing.
1:11 : Mid Long shot to Close up, forward track/crane
In this first shot we see Imhotep on a balcony looking over the city and the camera starts from behind him but as he turns goes into his face from a MLS to a CU.
1:21 : Mid Long shot to Mid Close Up, Reverse track
We see Anck Su Namun walking through a big gold door towards the camera.
1:29 : Very Long Shot, High Angle
We see her continue down the corridor and there is a match on action from the previous shot. We see her from a diagonal angle. The shot pans down slightly at the end of the clip.
1:31 : Mid Long Shot, side angle, crab
Another match on action, she continues down the corridor and we see the back of some priest's heads in the foreground and at the end of this shot we see a priest's face and it becomes a CU as she looks at him and he watches her walk off.
1:36 : Long shot, reverse track
This shot shows Anck Su Namun from behind walking towards the curtains and draws back to show the size of the room.
1:39 : Close up
We return to the previous shot of the priest and we have a pan left which turns the shot into a long shot as the priests close the door at the end of the corridor.
1:42 : Long shot to Two Shot, Track left
As Anck Su Namun walks into the room the camera also goes left and zooms in as she goes up to Imhotep and they kiss.
1:59 : Close Up
This shot is used to show Imhotep smear the paint on her arm which is how the two of them are found out. It starts slightly further out but zooms in as he rubs the paint.
2:03 : Long shot, zoom to MCU
This shot shows the priests closing the door but the Pharoah bursting in and the camera zooms in on him into an MCU as he talks. He then walks out of shot and we pan left to see the priests close the door behind him.
2:24 : Long shot
Pharoah behind the curtains and then starts to sweep them
2:26 : Over the shoulder shot
Match on action as he opens the curtains and then a forward track as he walks towards Anck Su Namun.
2:30 : Over the shoulder shot
Anck Su Namun's shoulder, looking at the Pharoah as he talks.
2:31 : Close Up
Anck Su Namun standing by the cat statue
2:33 : OTS shot, shot reverse shot
We go back to the previous shot of the Pharoah over Anck Su Namun's shoulder as he points at her to shout "who has touched you?"
2:35 : OTS shot
Looking at Anck Su Namun over the Pharoah's shoulder. We see her glance behind him
2:39 : OTS
Shot reverse shot again, and we can now see Imhotep in the corner of the frame which is obviously who Anck Su Namun was looking at in the previous shot. The Pharoah turns around and we pan slightly left
2:42 : Mid close up, OTS
We can see all 3 characters in shot and the rule of thirds is used to space them out equally to show the reaction as Imhotep takes the Pharoah's sword.
Overall I think this shot demonstrates some basic but effective camera techniques which will be useful for making my own opening sequence
Mood Boards
For my individual research I have made 2 mood boards both to do with film genre. In each I have shown popular films from the genre.
My first Mood Board is for films of the Comic Book genre. I have taken both mainstream, cult, old and new films in this montage to display common conventions. Most of the characters are in costumes or wearing masks to conceal their identities. Many show extraordinary qualities such as the Human Torch and Hulk. Many films of this genre already have a cult following before they come out, but often the release of a comic book film will bring a new generation of readers to the comics. For example, not many people knew of the Sin City and 300 comics by Frank Miller until films were created, although they have a large following in the comic book world. Other films such as Spiderman, Superman and Batman are world known characters who have had their own television shows, merchandise and more. The comic book genre is both easy and hard to be audience pleasing. Although the films have many pre made stories for them from the comics themselves, writers can often end up upsetting fans of the original comics for "not staying true" to the original content. However, they will draw in new fans which keeps the industry going.
My second mood board is for Sci-Fi. Again, I have taken many classic sci-fi films and shown famous scenes or characters from them. Obviously Star Wars launched a whole new breed of sci-fi and most futuristic space films today can be related back to the Star Wars films. Not only was the sound company THX created for Star Wars but they advanced special effects greatly bringing in a new age of computer animation making many films possible to make. You have your typical sci-fi/thriller films such as Alien, Predator and of course Blade Runner, but also many cult classics like Back To The Future and Planet of The Apes. Sci-Fi is one of my favourite genres as it delves into the realms of the unknown and almost anything is possible. I find them more interesting than films like comedies as they can easily break so many boundaries which is why they have such a large appeal and fan base.
My first Mood Board is for films of the Comic Book genre. I have taken both mainstream, cult, old and new films in this montage to display common conventions. Most of the characters are in costumes or wearing masks to conceal their identities. Many show extraordinary qualities such as the Human Torch and Hulk. Many films of this genre already have a cult following before they come out, but often the release of a comic book film will bring a new generation of readers to the comics. For example, not many people knew of the Sin City and 300 comics by Frank Miller until films were created, although they have a large following in the comic book world. Other films such as Spiderman, Superman and Batman are world known characters who have had their own television shows, merchandise and more. The comic book genre is both easy and hard to be audience pleasing. Although the films have many pre made stories for them from the comics themselves, writers can often end up upsetting fans of the original comics for "not staying true" to the original content. However, they will draw in new fans which keeps the industry going.
My second mood board is for Sci-Fi. Again, I have taken many classic sci-fi films and shown famous scenes or characters from them. Obviously Star Wars launched a whole new breed of sci-fi and most futuristic space films today can be related back to the Star Wars films. Not only was the sound company THX created for Star Wars but they advanced special effects greatly bringing in a new age of computer animation making many films possible to make. You have your typical sci-fi/thriller films such as Alien, Predator and of course Blade Runner, but also many cult classics like Back To The Future and Planet of The Apes. Sci-Fi is one of my favourite genres as it delves into the realms of the unknown and almost anything is possible. I find them more interesting than films like comedies as they can easily break so many boundaries which is why they have such a large appeal and fan base.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Star Wars V The Empire Strikes Back (1980) George Lucas
For my continuity analysis I have chosen to analyse possibly the most famous and surprising scene in the Star Wars saga. The scene is from the end of The Empire Strikes Back, when Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) goes to fight Darth Vader (David Prowse). The scene comes to a stunning climax when Darth Vader chops off Luke's hand and reveals that he is his father, to which Luke replies "No, it can't be, that's impossible".
0:00 : We begin by seeing Luke walking along a dark corrider towards the camera. We can hear nothing but the low buzz of machinery and his breathing and footsteps. Around 0:09 we hear the sound of a lightsaber being swung and Luke looks shocked.
0:10 : There is a match on action here as Vader swings his lightsaber and Luke ducks. This also uses Use of Shot Order as it continues immediately after the previous shot.
0:18 : Luke is pushed out of the door and the new shot is used to reveal more of the location. It is a good match on action.
0:20 : We see the sparks from where Vader hit the wall in the new shot showing that it has continued smoothly. He is also raising his arm as he was in the previous shot.
0:21 : As Vader swings down we switch to this very long shot which shows Vader and Luke continuing fighting but reveals even more of the location. There is a good match on action there.
0:24 : Vader and Luke continue to fight (match on action) but the shot is zoomed in.
0:26 : We change to a high angle here to show a different perspective of the location to see the deep chasm beneath them. We are still matching the action from before and so far all cuts have showed a continuing motion. There has been no dialogue either.
0:36 : As Luke falls the shot changes and we see a reaction shot from him. We now get into a sequence of shot - reverse shot throughout the dialogue. This continues to show reactions to the action and responses from each character. As Vader moves his lightsaber towards Luke we see him edging backwards. Then he slashes back.
0:44 : We see a reaction shot from Vader as he stumbles backwards. The following shots all follow smovely matching the action and paths of the lighstabers. This continues until finally Vader chops off Luke's hand. At this point the music comes back in after around a minute of just natural noise. This gives dramatic emphasis and shows we have reached an important part in the scene (0:54).
1:00 : From this point on we follow a sequence of shot- reverse shot throughout the dialogue in terms of reactions and responses from each character. These continue until 2:27 where we get point of view shots from Luke as he looks down into the chasm which is his only escape, then back up to Vader.
In general this clip has very good use of continuity. It is all straight cuts, no transitions, and follows the action directly to give a sense of realism and real time, unlike films like Pulp Fiction and Sin City which jump about the timeline constantly to create an unnatural feeling.
The sound also follows in continuity as we can always hear what is going on at that specific time in the clip.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
The Dark Knight (2008) Christopher Nolan
For my Shot Analysis I have chosen to use a clip from Christopher Nolan's most recent Batman film, The Dark Knight starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine and Aaron Eckhart.
The clip takes place just after the Joker's first arrest and he has been interviewed by soon to be Commissioner Gordan (Gary Oldman). The Joker makes a gag that Gordan is using the "Good Cop, Bad Cop" technique to which Gordan replies "Yeah, something like that" and exits the room. The room has been purposely lit from only one side and we soon see that the "bad cop" has been hiding in the shadows.
I have deciphered that there are about 5 different point of views in the clip I am using. I am only analysing the first minute of the clip (up until 1:05) so there may well be more camera's introduced later in the scene. I have named each camera due to what it shows;
Camera 1 : From Batman's side of the interview table looking at the Joker
Camera 2 : From the Joker's side of the interview table looking at Batman
Camera 3 : From the door of the interview room looking at the back of Batman and can see the Joker from the front.
Camera 4 : Used only once in the clip, a high angle looking down on the table as if from Batman's eyes.
Camera 5 : Outside the interview room showing the police looking onto the interrogation.
Using these deceptions I will analyse the clip.
0:00 : Close up, Camera 1
The clip starts in a darkened room where only the Joker is illuminated. The lights come on and we are aware that Batman is behind him. Batman slams the Joker's head into the table and the camera follows his head.
0:08 : Over the shoulder - low angle, Camera 2
We see over the shoulder of the Joker looking up at Batman at quite a low angle to give Batman an element of fear as he seems bigger than the Joker.
0:09 : Close up, Camera 1
We have a close up on the Joker's head as he is talking and is therefore the important character at this point.
0:12 : Long shot, Camera 3
We see the room from the door and see Batman standing and the Joker sitting on the opposite side of the table. The rule of thirds is used well here so that our focus is drawn into the middle of the frame as Batman lifts up his arm to hit the Joker.
0:13 : Close up, Camera 4
This is the only time camera 4 is used. It shows the Joker's hand being hit by Batman. This shot is used so that we (the audience) see what it is exactly that Batman does to the Joker. We could have stayed with camera 3 however this shot gives more dramatic effect.
0:14 : Over the shoulder - low angle, Camera 2
This shot is put in so we have a brief glimpse of Batman before we go back to seeing the Joker. The low angle is still used to show that Batman is "above" the Joker, whether this is the fact that Batman is feared or that he is above in the sense that he is good.
0:15 : Mid close up, Camera 1
We now see the Joker again but slightly more zoomed out to show more of his body. This shot is also used to establish Batman sitting down while the Joker is talking. We see Batman in the left hand side of the shot so that eventually we will get an interview like sequence.
0:18 : Over the shoulder, Camera 2
The camera is focusing on Batman as he is talking and the over the shoulder shot is used to see that he is now looking directly at the Joker. The two character's are now level as is the camera angle. I think this is used to symbolize Batman coming down to the Joker's level to talk with him.
0:20 : Forward track, Camera 5
This is the only time Camera 5 is used in the first minute of the clip and it shows the other cops outside the room looking in through the window. The forward track is used to zoom in on the main cops who have been introduced to us as primary plot characters (Gordan, Romirez).
0:24 : Over the shoulder/Mid close up, Camera 1
The next few shots are very well thought out. In approximately the next 20 seconds of clip Camera 1 uses the arc shot technique to start on the right side of Batman looking at the Joker and end up on the left side of Batman looking at the Joker. These clips are shown from almost over the shoulder but so that Batman is only just in the clip. This clip has a few clips in between showing Batman. I will label all of these clips with which part of the arc they use. By the end of this shot, Batman occupies half of the screen and the Joker's face is all still visible.
0:36 : Over the shoulder, Camera 2
This shot shows Batman talking and we see that it is also performing a similar arc to Camera 1 so that eventually both Camera 1 and Camera 2 will be looking at the characters from a different angle.
0:39 : Over the shoulder, Camera 1 (part 2 of Arc, now on left side of Batman)
This shot simply continues the arc from 0:24 and shows the Joker talking to Batman.
0:48 : Mid close up, Camera 2
The Camera 2 arc is now complete and so we can only see Batman in the shot.
0:50 : Mid close up, Camera 1
We see the Joker's reaction to Batman's comment and as he laughs hysterically the camera follows his head movement.
0:54 : Mid close up/over the shoulder, Camera 2
This shot is arguable as we can just about see part of the Joker's head in the shot. However I think it demonstrates an over the shoulder more than an MCU as when the Joker's head is in shot we see as if from behind him.
0:58 : Mid close up, Camera 1
We see the Joker talking and the Camera follows his head as he moves.
1:05 : Over the shoulder, Camera 2
This shot is showing Batman talking and has zoomed out from when Camera 2 was last used at 0:54.
I think this scene is very well thought out and all the shots compliment themselves well. The arc in the middle is a very clever device as it makes your typical interview scene more interesting to watch.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
FDA notes
Release of a film
- What the movie is
- Marketability : who it is going to appeal to
- Develop a campaign that appeals to the audience
- How much money spent making it?
- What can the movie take in the UK box office?
- Working with 3rd party promotions
- Publicity
- Talent of the film, will they travel to UK for interviews?
- Will their be a premier?
- What type of media, TV, posters, newspapers etc?
- Define your audience
- Does film have a specific genre?
- Speak to a certain age group?
- Who directed the film?
- Actors in the film, do they have fans?
- Identify target audience for smaller films
- Past comparisons
- Research data
- How frequent, sex, where do they watch the film, etc?
- Pinpoint target audience
- Audience will view advertising in a certain place
- Place adverts where your target audience will see them, e.g TV
- Different age groups targeted differently
- Film distribution is about competition
- Stand above others to make your film noticed
- Holidays, weather, audience patterns
- E.g. Not as much TV in July/August because of weather so advertise with posters
- Costs of film prints
- Technical elements
- Shipping
- Advertising costs
- Designing posters, press ads, TV spots, trailers etc
- How best to use money
- Depends on the movie
- If famous film people will spread word about it
- Work with media partners to spread the news about film
- Advance screening programs
- Place adverts throughout all types of media
- Free forms of advertising, through press
- Get support from directors and actors
- Trailer is key to selling film
- Public's first exposure of the film
- Trailer has right impact and message
- Sound, graphics, concept of film
- Convince exhibitors to take the film
- Difficult films, got to sell the film to the cinema's
- Viral marketing
- Creating something that because of it's nature it is sent on like a chain
- Most effective is word of mouth
- Telling other people that the film is good will convince them more than adverts
- Research important and comes in to play at different times
- Can be done well in advance of actual production
- Visuals, trailers, meeting people's expectations
- Test screen films with a target audience, get questionnaires filled in
- Focus groups
- Very frustratingly important
- Way the cinema industry works
- Box office takings work on first 3 days
- Film has to have been successful in the weekend or will be pulled from the cinema
- Piracy in UK has escalated over the past 5 years
- Piracy counts for 20% of all DVD sales in the UK
- British consumer believe they're getting a bargain
- Money from piracy funds other criminal elements
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Sin City Shot Sequence Analysis
Shot 1
This shot is a close up but also a high angle shot. It shows a man clutching his ear and aiming a gun past the camera. He is looking up past the camera so we can safely presume there is someone out of our vision behind the camera. He is on a wooden floor which looks damp so suggests either a cellar or a dock. However, due to the lighting it is more likely a dock as it is a high key lighting shot. The fact that he is clutching his ear and looks in pain suggests that he may have been hit in the side of the head by something or even shot. From this shot the director has not given us much insight to what is going on but instead there is an element of mystery and tension as we do not know precisely what is going on.Shot 2
This shot is a long shot at a high angle with mostly high key lighting but a few natural shadows left. We now see for certain that they are on a dock and see the man who is on the ground is also being aimed at by a character above him. The long coat suggests a typical detective or private police officer so we presume the man standing up is the good guy. We see blood on the floor next to the man which is coming from his arm which suggests it has been shot. The man's body language and facial expression adds to this as he looks in excruciating pain. From this shot we can fill in quite a bit of storyline in our head as an audience as it looks as though the man on the floor could be a criminal that the police man/detective has been sent to bring in but there has been a fight. The director has thought carefully about this as we have multiple ideas of what is going on.Shot 3
This is a long shot at a normal angle. We see the same scene as before but from a different angle. We can see slightly more of the surroundings and it seems like they are in an old town which isn't very modernised. The whole area looks quite run down. We see a young girl up against a post in the corner. She is put there so that our attention is not immediately drawn to her but it adds to the mystery as we do not know whether the man standing up is an ally of hers or an enemy. Was she being defended or has he come to take her away. This is very clever from the director as the story has many different routes it can take depending on what happens next.Shot 4
This shot is a long shot but also in its own sense a very long shot. It is at the same angle as shot 3 but has zoomed out a bit. The man on the floor is clearly still alive due to his body posture and language but now the man who was standing up looks in pain and is falling over. There is a new character behind him holding a gun. From this we can assume that the middle character has been shot by the man in the black cloak yet we don't know whether he is on the side of the man on the floor or not. The girl is now in the centre of the frame almost which suggest she has been thrown in the middle of this whole situation. This shot suggests another plot as the man in black could be there to protect her while the other two were fighting over her, or the man in the middle could be saving her while being ganged up on, or thirdly the man on the floor and the man in black could together be saving the girl from the man in the middle. This is a cleverly thought out sequence as each frame adds a new character creating more and more mystery for the audience as we do not know the back story behind the shots.Shot 5
This shot is a close up. The lighting has still remained high key throughout so that all details are clear. This is the first time we see the girl's face and we see that she is crying and looking downwards at the floor. Behind her we can see that there is rope on the post suggesting that she may have been tied to it. The fact that she is looking down in relation to the sequence tells us that she could be crying over the man in the long coat who was just shot, or over the man who was originally on the floor, or out of horror at all that is happening around her. Yet again the director has used the fact that we do not know the situation and character's well to help us come up with many answers in our head leaving us to decide for ourselves whether or not they are right.Shot 6
This shot is a long shot at a normal angle but with a vanishing point (meaning that everything is angling towards a certain point so that certain things are more in the foreground than others). The shot uses the rule of thirds well to draw our attention to the centre. We see that the middle man has now walked to the edge of the dock. He still looks in pain and is holding his chest suggesting either a pain in his heart or that he has been shot (which we presume from shot 4). The man on the ground still is lying there having not done much in the sequence. The little girl is now looking up at the man in black either out of fear or because he has saved her. It seems that the man in black is talking to the man holding his chest as he is looking towards him. In the sequence the director would probably start to reveal everyone's roles in the scene at this point as the action seems to have come to a halt and dialogue has replaced it.Conclusion
This sequence works very well as the first four frames are used to introduce the character's in the scene and let us decide what we believe to be going on and the final two shots are used to try and clue us in more to the actual plot line. The sequence also starts close up and slowly zooms out as it is revealing more. The whole shot is at night time but is very well lit so we have an element of secrecy but at the same time can see what is going on and have a clear analysis of the set and characters.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Damsel In Distress
This shot shows a victim up against a wall screaming in terror as a dark shadow looms over them. This shot can be seen to be representing horror as it follows many of the generic conventions of the genre. We see a dark room lacking in colour which brings an element of mystery into the picture. The victim is in terror as you can see from the body language and facial expression which shows that something bad is happening or in other words gives a sense of impending doom. The shadow of the hand is very large so gives the effect of a huge creature and as the victim is looking upwards we feel as if it is very large in comparison. The shadow is quite distorted as well to look unnatural. The lighting is also low key which makes it very strange as it is only really coming from underneath so we can just make out the victims face but most of the shot is cast in shadow. There is a feeling of tension as we have no idea what will happen next but are lead to believe that the victim will probably face their end! The shot itself is at a canted angle which also makes the shot feel unnatural.
To achieve this shot we found a wall and some steps and got the victim (myself) to lie on the steps looking in fear. We then shone one light from underneath onto the victim's face and one from far off where someone else created the shadow of the hand at an odd angle to make it seem distorted and big. We then took the picture at a canted angle.
Our shot is successful in the fact that it gives a feeling of horror and terror. The layout is good and because of the general set up it feels very claustrophobic, which makes us feel there is no way out. The lighting is well thought out and so is the angle as both are big contributing factors to the horror feel of the shot.
In hindsight I would have gotten some more powerful lights to make the whole picture a lot clearer and less fuzzy. I would have also tried to get an even more distorted angle as this would add to oddness of the shot. Had we had the time and resources I would have liked to use some make up to make the character look bloody and bruised and also to have ripped clothes so when somebody looks at the shot they can picture their own scenario in what led up to this moment, and even predict what will happen next. I would have also liked to have decorated the set a bit more to make it look more sinister and mysterious, maybe in a cellar or have strange markings on the wall.
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