Final FIlm : Screening and Feedback

Yesterday we showed our film to the rest of the group and our tutor for the last time before handing it in. Since the last tutorial we added another 3 minute sequence to the beginning of our film in a different location to Grindleford to help the explain the narrative of the film, whilst also including some of the cinematography elements we were required to include in the final film e.g. the interior lighting change. Apart from that addition, we stuck very carefully and precisely to our storyboards or shot lists that each individual had planned which made the editing process very straight forward as well as made us all clear on what we needed to set up for and film as soon as we were on location.



The group gave us some positive feedback mainly focusing on the POV sequences in both sections of the film. This was because it was very clear who the audience were identifying with from the start which made the film easier to follow. They also liked the use of lighting changes around the bag that the thief stole. They said it was clear that this was a symbolic item that held significance around the narrative and set up the plot for later in the film.
Improvements we could have made to the film include, in the first sequence, due to the exterior lighting and camera settings, we had to use gain on the camera for objects to be visible when filming, this caused considerable visual noise which was unintentional and lowered the professional quality of the film. Also the Grindleford footage we shot was on the wrong setting for the camera which makes the image look strange compared to what it normally should be.

2nd Shoot Day

After shooting the footage in Grindleford, our group decided it was best to film another similar sequence in a different location to help form a narrative whilst also addressing all of the cinematography techniques we needed to include in the final film. We decided to film in a house at night time, to help the realism regarding the thief stealing something whilst also explaining why someone is following him. We also used a house to do an interior lighting change to give continuity to the exterior one we did in Grindleford surrounding the bag.

I planned the opening shots for this small sequence, which ultimately is the start of the film, and the group supported my decision to introduce some of the elements straight away.

The main element I wanted to get across at first was a small POV sequence with the thief looking into houses. This is because it makes the audience instantly identify with this character and want to find out what he is doing, which is what we wanted the audience to do straight away. I used a mixture of  static wides, mids and close ups to get this desired effect, following a narrative control template from Film Directing : Shot by Shot : Visualizing from concept to screen (1991) by Steven D. Katz.

I also wanted to introduce one more element into this sequence so I built upon the already existing colour element, the red hoodie on the thief, and we shot next to a street light which gave off a strong red light which contrasted with the bright lights of cars going by. The reason for this is to show the danger surrounding this character and that they are not to be trusted, which is highlighted by his questionable actions.

Finally I planned a sequence shot time lapse outside the house to transition the narrative to one location to the next. This required me filming for 45 minutes as the sun rose outside the house and then compressing it in the edit to about 25 seconds long.

This shot also served as an exterior lighting change used as a narrative device.

After my sequence the rest of the group planned their shots to support the narrative. We had another sequence shot inside the house of the thief looking around a room and finding the bag, waking the stalker up as he left which set up the sequence and plot for the Grindleford section.
We did encounter some problems when filming this section of the film, mainly to do with under exposure and gain due to the time it was recorded and the camera we used (Canon 305). Some shots really struggled to be exposed with the practical light we had, mainly outside, so we used the gain on them but this main the shots very visually noisy which effects the quality of the final film overall. However that was the only negative point we really had with this second shoot, and we hope both parts of the documentary will fit well together and make a decent film.

The Place Beyond The Pines Analysis

The Place Beyond The Pines (2012) by Derek Cianfrance is a drama/thriller film starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Eva Mendes and follows a mix of the life of a motorcycle performer, Luke, who starts robbing banks to support his young child, and half way through changes to following a cop, Avery, who shoots and kills Luke when in a police chase. Then the majority of the story is about the son of Luke, AJ, and his interaction with the Avery's son, Jason. The two sons don't know the history their dads share and become friends and slowly discover their parents pasts.
This film had  a lot of different and interesting cinematography elements in it which I can analyse and adapt to put into our final film.
The first opening sequence is a long take, using hand held, following Luke through a carnival. The purpose of this long take is to establish the location and give the audience a sense of place.

 It also makes the audience see a third person POV of behind the character, much like the sequence shot in Elephant (2003) by Gus Van Sant, and this shows us where the character is going, what he interacts with and what he's looking at. Due to these things being obvious to the audience, they attach themselves with the character and empathise with them and to see what their part is in the narrative of the film. This technique is repeated later on in the film where Luke's son is walking through a party and the shots are two small sequence shots from the back of the character, used in the same effect. I liked the use of this long take as it was a mobile and done through an interesting location which means the audience are instantly engaging with the film and the character shown.
There was also an alternative use of POV sequences in this film as the majority of it was shot Hand held to give a more 1st person POV or 3rd person restricted POV to it and make the audience feel as though the camera is them. A good example of this would be at 1hour 15 minutes into the film where AJ is in a pharmacy store trying to steal some drugs for a party. The camera starts by following him into the store from behind (much like the shot at the start of the film with his father) and then pulls away so he is facing it, looking off to the side behind a shelf.

The camera then rapidly pans to the direction in which AJ is looking so the audience see the quick camera movement as if they themselves have just turned their heads to see what AJ is looking at.

This alternative style of POV sequences is very interesting and engaging with the audience due to the 'control' they feel as though they have in the scene. When they want to know where AJ is looking they see his face, and after that is established we move with the camera to where he is looking.
The final convention I would like to point out is the use of an interior lighting change. This occurs at 15 minutes into the film where Luke is inside a church at the back, watching his son being christened. He begins to cry for a bit then dips his head down, making his face and head darker. He then lifts it up after he stops crying, and turns looking into the sunlight.

I believe this is symbolic of the character Luke moving on with his life, as he wasn't invited to the baptism of his own son and he knows he isn't wanted by the mother to help out at all so he realises this and the light symbols change for him. I think it works well here because the location of a church already implies change/redemption so using it here gives a heavy emotive feeling for the audience to sympathise with Luke and want him to change.
All in all The Place Beyond The Pines was a very interesting film, especially in terms of cinematography, as it uses a wide variety of conventions to portray different emotions, themes and actions throughout. I will keep in mind the conventions I have picked out here when making our final film and perhaps incorporate the technical styles used into it, to increase the quality of it.

Grindleford Shoot + My shots

Today we went to Grindleford and shot the sequence we had planned previously. We discussed the whole narrative through once again as a group the day before and did detailed plans of what shots/sequences we individually wanted to film. I chose the start of the POV sequence in Grindleford to plan as well as the long take in the studio. The POV sequence is what we filmed today and it began with a mid shot of a stone bench with the thief walking into shot and looking around. It then cuts to a close up of his face looking just above camera which then cuts to an over the shoulder of the bag in the thief's hands. Then it cuts to the same mid shot of the thief from before looking from side to side which then transitions into a close up of him looking slowly over his shoulder. This then cuts to a first person POV of the person following him on top of the hill behind him. It will then cut back to the same close up of him looking back around and then to a mid shot of him walking quickly off. Here is the storyboard I completed to show this sequence visually:

To make the most of our time and so I didn't have to keep setting up after each little shot, I decided to do a run through of the scene at all the camera angles (minus the first person POV of the hill) before re-positioning and this worked very effectively as it allowed me to view the action at different angles which may effect the position or frequency of each shot.

Here are some stills from the footage recorded today:

I think the shots came out as I planned them to up to a point, due to the storyboarding and advanced planning that went into them, however the thing we couldn't control was the light coverage, which kept changing in between shots which proved problematic when adjusting the exposure on the camera. We originally wrote down the F value for the opening shots to keep it as close to that as possible when changing angles, however this became irrelevant when the sun kept dipping in and out of clouds all day. What we should have done in hindsight is used the reflector and possibly a flag to control the light as much as possible during the sequence. Overall though, I am happy the way this small sequence turned out and how in uses POV to add to the drama of the narrative.

Film Plan

We met up a number of times to plan for going out and shooting the film where we planned each of our shots, contributed to the narrative and organised what we would need to do when. The narrative was a big part of the discussion as we needed it to be clear and solid in order to plan shots effectively, so we eventually decided to make the film about a kleptomaniac who is seen stealing something and followed back to where they hoard all of the objects they have stolen. We want to start the film in the university studio after a shoot and have the main character, the thief, steal a camera bag from it but is seen by another person. The thief then leaves the studio and is followed to a forest (Grindleford) where he realises the other person is onto him and tries to lose them. When he does, he goes to where he keeps all of the items he has stolen and leaves again to carry on his 'spree'.
Although the narrative isn't very deep or tight, we all agreed that this would be a very effective way of addressing all the cinematography elements in a short film, without over complicating the story making it too hard to follow and too much work to complete given our time limit. Also, we are not marked on sound, our group has decided to use no dialogue in the film, so the simple narrative aids this decision as the story is quite easy to understand without the help of speech.

First draft of Narrative Plan

Addressing the different elements
After discussing and finalising our narrative, we began planning how we would incorporate each cinematography element into the film and where we would use them.

• Colour - We needed to use colour as a narrative and symbolic element at some point during the film. We thought about using the object that the thief steals as the main colour element for a while, but then decided to use it along side another just because we would have to frame every shot to get the camera bag in which could prove problematic when doing the POV sequence, so we thought we would have the thief wearing a red hoodie. This is symbolic of not only the thief being a danger to society by braking the law, but also that he is the one in danger by being almost caught. The camera bag is black with a little bit of red on, and this is symbolic of mystery and incognito in terms of the thief not wanting people to know that he has stolen it.
• POV - We needed to have a 2 minute long sequence that favours the point of view of the non-active participant, which is the person being followed (the thief). We thought planned this sequence to be in the forests surrounding Grindleford to show the thief's realisation that he is being followed and the panic it causes. To do this we're using a mixture of shots and a lot that surround a three step pov sequence that I mention in a previous post. This is where the first shot shows the characters eyeline in third person restricted POV, then an over the shoulder, first person or modified subjective of the direction of the eyeline, then a final shot of the character, normally close up of them, with a modified subjective of the direction they are still looking in.
• Lighting - We need an internal and external example of a lighting change used as a narrative device. For our external change we are going to use a reflector to show the symbolic change of emotional joy when the thief sees all the items he has hoarded. For the internal change we are going to use the thief escaping the crime scene through a dark corridor into the light which is symbolic of freedom, but also shows the narrative progressing into a different space (from one location to the next).
• Sequence shot - We need to plan a sequence shot/long take. We have already planned a few of these but the main one we will use is the opening shot in the studio where we will have a wide of everyone packing up after the shoot and in the centre of the frame, have the thief steal the camera bag and walking off shot followed closely by the person that sees him and follows him out. We have taken influence from Michael Haneke with this shot as he frequently uses long takes with important actions occurring within them as a method of making the audience actively search for the action in scene abolishing the passive audience watching of films.

 Here is the rough shot list we created after discussing both the narrative and the elements to include within it and how to realise this into a film.

Seminar Shoot with Sound Group

Today's seminar we worked with the sound students and two actors to shoot a small scene we have be looking at in previous weeks. As with the CPR shoot, our roles today were to set up lighting and compose different shots in front of a green screen after planning them in previous weeks as a group. The script that we were given was as follows:

Our group took a while to get our head around some of the narrative in the script as it seemed as though some dialogue or connection had been taking out to join the parts together. However we still planned a rough shot list with the script and how we would run through the sequence as once again we would only have 40 minutes to film all our shots. Our group decided that we would run the whole scene through from 4 different compositions to start with and then look at the closer details e.g close ups. First of all the set up we wanted was, as mentioned in the script, to have 3 pools of light separate from one another of for the whole scene to be acted out in one of these pools. To do this we set up 3 dado's high up on stands, attached to a grip that put them almost directly over the actors.

Due to time and lack of numbers, we joined by helping out another group in the technical side of things by setting up lights, reflectors and directing the actors. In this seminar I learnt the importance to be constantly making notes when filming so you can record what iris you used, the focus, zoom length, white balance e.t.c so when it comes to editing you can have as much information as possible to aid you when it comes to post-production. Also having a storyboard and/or a shot list can really help out when time becomes an issue during a shoot because you always have something to work with to guide you if you get off track.

Seminar shoot with CPR group

In today's seminar we worked with the Creative Production Realisation group to shoot their sets that they had been constructing for the majority of this semester. Our roles were to think about lighting, shot composition and framing when trying to achieve what they wanted to convey with their script/visuals. We were only given a short time to get an understanding of the scene we were meant to shoot with our group due to communication issues but their director had a very clear idea of what needed to be done so the instructions we were given were very precise and clear. The camera we shot on was the Canon XF100 which we had only used once before which was a small issue at the start when setting it up, but we quickly adapted to it and managed to set it up correctly. We also had a set of three dado lights and one keno for lighting the set which was ample to create the effect that the CPR group wanted.

We positioned the lights to create heavy shadows on the sides of the set which contained a bookshelf with a variety of items on, and a table also with a variety of items on. We had two dado's with minimum fill at a medium-high angle about 45° from the subject with a medium intensity to give the desired shadow on the backdrop. We used the Keno to give the whole set a dull fill by placing it far back at a high angle on a low intensity. We kept moving the final dado around depending on where the actor was in the shot and to make sure it wasn't over or under exposed and to create a sharp shadow on the wall behind him. We also had to light a green screen in the final few shots which required us to move one of the dado's behind the set and position it so it covered all of the screen at a bright intensity.

Floor plan

 Due to the 40 minute turn over time we had to complete the whole scene, the whole process was very rushed and that combined with the small amount of time we had to look over and discuss the shot list meant we weren't as helpful as we possibly could have been. The CPR group however had a very clear idea of what they wanted to accomplish, so they took charge with most of the set up and we just did the technical side of things. The first couple of shots allowed us to really consider the framing and exposure with lighting but due to the rapid turn-over time, we couldn't maintain this level of precision throughout the whole time we had which meant the second half of the scene was very rushed with little attention to detail (e.g. exposure and focus).

Setting up lights. Source: Jay Burgoyne http://creativesem1.blogspot.co.uk/

What I have learnt from this process is that to complete another persons film shot for shot how they want it to be, you need to be given the script or directors notes as soon as possible to allow you to create a story board or personal shot list with carefully considered compositions instead of having to rush it and improvise everything. The time limit was also a big learning curve as it showed be the pressure of working under a strict production time limit as well as being in a studio environment.

Grindleford Recce

Yesterday, our group went to Grindleford to recce the specific area(s) we would want to shoot our 2 minute POV sequence for our film. In this sequence we all need to produce at least 2 shots each that show the 'non-active participant's' point of view. We already had a specific location in mind that could be potentially used for our sequence which contained a varied scenery which we could use to make our sequence varied, visually aesthetic and powerful.

The variety of different scenery, woodland, winding paths, bridges and rivers means we have a lot to work with and which could really add to the aesthetics of the sequence. We are meeting as a group next Wednesday to discuss exactly what direction to go in with regards to the narrative and the shot list we will work from. We have preliminarily discussed that we don't want to make the narrative to serious as it could be cliché or cheesy, so we want to head in a more comedic and playful direction to try and create something that isn't done frequently.

Point of View Element

In the last part of the seminar we looked at the final element we have to include within our film which is a point of view sequence. Point of view determines who the viewer identifies within a scene and relies heavily on framing and editing to make it clear to the audience who is the focus of the scene. There are a few different styles of point of view shots and sequences which are continuously used in almost every film made that involve one or more characters.
There are 3 types of Narrative Point of View in films which show whos point of view the narrative is being told from, and they are:

• First person POV -Character tells the story through their own eyes. When the camera shows the subjective view point of the character, conventionally hand held/shaky cam e.g Peep Show.
• Third person restricted POV - Presents the action and narrative through an observer. The camera is not the view point of one of the characters, conventionally a static camera or a pan of characters movement. Used in hundreds of films e.g Saving Private Ryan (opening scene on the beach).
• Omnicent POV - We know what the character is thinking, camera can be doing either examples above but is usually combined with a voice over e.g Layer Cake (Daniel Craigs character).

Camera techniques are a very powerful way of showing what point of view the film is in as well as who the audience should be identifying with in the scene. This is done predominantly through the position of the camera in relation to the characters and their eye lines. The most common sequence used to establish this identification is:

1. The first shot shows the main characters eye line and the direction they are looking in from a third person restricted POV.
2.  The next shot shows either a first person or over shoulder shot of the first character and the object/subject they are looking at.
3. The final shot normally shows a close up of their face straight on from the object/subject they were looking at, but can be a modified subjective, where the eye line is slightly off so the character isn't looking straight down the camera lens.

The film Vertigo by Alfred Hitchcock is a classic example of a whole scene that uses this technique religiously throughout.

This is an effective way of showing who the audience identifies with due to the types of framing used on the male character, as well as the 1st person point of view shot (2nd shot) showing the audience who's perspective they are viewing the scene from.

Sequence Shot Element

In this seminar we looked at the final two elements we need to include in our films which were a long take/sequence shot and a Point of View sequence.

Sequence Shot
A sequence shot, or long take, is single uncut shot that extends for a whole scene or sequence. It is normally used to allow the audience to get a whole sense of a setting or situation by allowing them to take in everything that is happening within the scene with no breaks in it. It is conventionally done using a steadicam or dolly but can also be a static shot and there are three different ways the sequence shot can be done:

1. Where the camera is static and the subject or subjects move around in the scene and this is normally used to allow the audience time to absorb what they are seeing in the frame. e.g Michael Haneke's Hidden.
2. Where the camera moves around a static subject(s) normally to show the scene the subject is surrounded by or to create drama through an almost point of view style sequence. e.g Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs.
3. Where both the subject and the camera move and this tends to be a tracking shot of one or two subjects through a scene. e.g Martin Scorsesse's Goodfellas

Issues that can arise when attempting a sequence shot are mainly:

• Choice between static or moving
• Focus
• Exposure

These issues can normally be controlled when shooting internally or in a studio due to the ability to control light intensity and space to move in when filming. However problems occur, especially with exposure, when shooting externally as you may shoot facing the sun and then move to the shade, the clouds may block out some sunlight whilst shooting or you even may go from an external setting to an internal one within the shot. To get around these problems, the crew will normally consist of a camera operator, a focus puller and someone to change the exposure and this crew will have to work when the scene is being filmed to adjust the variables to make the shot as professional as possible.

We looked at some examples of these different types of sequence shots in the seminar and how well they had been executed as well as why the directors had used them in the way they had done.
The first film we looked at was What Time Is It Over There? (2001) by Ming-liang Tsai which uses an internal, static sequence shot looking through a few doorways in a house.

The shot is about 3 minutes and 20 seconds long and uses around 3 focus pulls which draws the focus into the 3 joining rooms. The use of the long take here is so the audience can observe and absorb what setting this is filmed in as well as focus what the character is doing in all the different rooms.

The second film we watched was La Haine (1995) by Mathieu Kassovitz which includes a internal steadicam sequence shot that circles around two main subjects to give off a interchanging, mobile third person POV stile shot.

This shot is only about 1 minute 30 seconds long and contains a large number of focus pulls which change from the characters faces to action happening in the background of the scene. The reason it does this is to give a contrast of the reactions and emotions of the two characters to what is happening around them as well as serving as a point of view shot of the two characters as they rotate their heads around to take in what is happening in the room.

The final film we looked at was Elephant (2003) by Gus Van Sant and this film uses a steadicam tracking sequence shot which follows the main character around a school.

This shot is about 5 minutes 20 seconds long and uses a variety of techniques throughout such as focus pulling and exposure adjusting. This is because the sequence consists of varied distances between the camera and the main subject, as well as focus on other characters around the main one plus the shot takes is from an external environment to and internal one and in again twice which all in one shot can be very demanding to execute professionally. There are a few hiccups in this shot especially with the transition from inside to outside in terms of overexposure, but the shot is used to give the audience a view of the setting of the film as well as setting up a later shot that mimics this one.

All three types of sequence shot are effective in their respective ways but practically the easiest to accomplish would be the first style, where the camera remains static and the subject moves within the scene, and the hardest would be the final style where both camera and subject are moving. When we get to Grindleford on Thursday, we will assess what we want to film and then experiment with what style of sequence shot would be best suited for it.

Let the Right One In Analysis

Let The Right One In (2008) by Tomas Alfredson is about a lonely, bullied child (Oskar) who finds both love and revenge when a new and strange girl moves in next to him who turns out to be a vampire. This film has been credited by a number of critics to have very unique and effective cinematography which is why I decided to analyse it so I could pick up techniques used, in my own film. I tried to analyse all the main techniques used in the film and relate them to the 4 elements I need to incorporate in my own film; these are Use of colour as a narrative and symbolic element, lighting change as a narrative device, a sequence shot and a point of view sequence.

The most notable cinematography technique used is the shallow depth of field which is used in almost every scene in the film. It is used predominantly when framed on Oskar or Eli’s heads or when the scene is focused around them and it is done here to give a sense that both the characters want to be wrapped up in their own protective bubble and their own worlds. For example the scene where Oskar gives Eli his Rubik’s cube, as the dialogue progresses and the intimacy between the characters intensifies, the shots get a more shallow depth of field and the background becomes less and less clear. This is connotes the safety and friendship between these two characters as it shows that nothing in the frame is important compared to the two subjects that are in focus and this is a very effective technique because it forces the audience to just watch what is going on in the foreground so they are not distracted by anything else (such as the falling snow) and focus their attention to the relationship between the characters instead.

The second technique I picked up on was the use of colour throughout the film especially when relating to characters and the underlying themes they carry with them. For example, Eli, the vampire, is always wearing a light, dull coloured top or dress normally pale blue, white or grey. This connotes that Eli is innocent and vulnerable which makes the audience feel sympathy towards her, even though she is technically the ‘monster’ in the film. The reason this is done is because it supports the main narrative, the love story between Oskar and Eli, by making the audience empathise with both characters whilst also connoting that even though Eli has to kill people and drink their blood, she only does it because she has to survive.

The colour of Oskar and Eli’s hair also seems very deliberate as it connotes their type of character profile. Oskar has the bleach blond and almost white hair so we see him as a very young, innocent child who is misunderstood and neglected by his parents, whereas Eli with dark black hair, is shown to have a more evil and dangerous side. Obviously these conventions wouldn’t be obvious without the narrative but they definitely enhance the way the audience subconsciously judges the characters.