Filming Session #1: Exterior Shots

Yesterday was my first filming session of the shot film entitled "Before". The scenes that we shot today were fundamental to the film's narrative in the sense that this is the point at which the protagonist is about to murder his ex-wife. It's a scene that bookends the beginning and end of the film; consequently, it was really important to capture these shots in a manner that I would deem to be of a quality standard.

Shooting Location

Filming on my road,  I knew I had to anticipate the annoyances that come with filming in a public place. Cars driving down the road and people walking into the frame were things that could disrupt the film's continuity. Therefore, it was challenging to have to move to the side of the road and then set-up the shot once more.

Emily and Will

Technically, I felt at home using my Canon camera; it's one of the few pieces of tech I really understand and I felt this camera had the capability to capture the shots I had envisioned. For instance, I wanted the background in some of the shots to be in soft focus, and so using the focus tool on the camera helped me to capture the desired shot.

"It's behind you!"

It was an interesting experience directing my "actors" for the first time. Part of the role of being a director, I've found, is to cajole and motivate your actors into getting into role, in order to bring out the best in them and, therefore, the character. I felt that I was able to do this, and it's a testament to Liam and Emily that they brought the psychotic and loved-up emotions of each of their respective characters.

Over-the-Shoulder Shot

The other job of a director is to show that you know what you're doing and to be focused. Before filming even began, I had sat down with the actors (over a cup of tea, naturally), and I talked over my storyboard with them, showing them specifically the shots I aimed to get filmed that day. This really helped from the off to give our short film a sense of focus and concentration so that myself and the actors knew what they had to do.

Creepy Rocking Horse...

Overall, I found this filming experience to be really insightful. Although yesterday was only really starting filming in earnest (most of the shots in the film are interior-based), this helped me to gauge what things I did well as well as what needed working on. Therefore, I'm looking forward to continuing filming and shooting the rest of the film. 

Liam #1

Liam #2

Short Film Analysis #8: "The World Outside My Window- Time Lapses Of Earth From The ISS"

This short film really stood out for me, partly because it's unique, partly because I liked the music, mainly it was just amazing to look at. A pattern that I've found common in short films under a five minute length, it goes for style over a complex plot. It's a series of time lapse shots of the earth, making this viewer realize how small and minute our lives are amongst such a large planet, as well as the stars and universes beyond. The films bold colours, fast-paced editing and trance-like non diegetic music makes this a compelling watch. The film can be found below:

Camera: This is an interesting film to discuss in regards to how camera has been used; the shot that holds the most prevalence is the camera that looks through a rounded window looking down at Earth. It's the shot that ties in with the title of the film; the title's irony that, outside the window, there is actually the entire world outside. Therefore it could be argued that this shot is a point-of-view shot. Like the recent space drama "Gravity", you feel immersed in space, this shot adding to the idea that the audience is there, looking down on Earth. Other camera's are found on various positions on the space station. Note that we're often looking down on Earth, and the camera can capture whole continents within its frame- this creates the idea that the world, from this perspective at least, is a rather small place in comparison with the vast expanse of unexplored space. Arguably the best shot of the film (and last), the part where we see the astronaut, with the moon in the background, forces the audience to realize the wonder of space-travel. Overall, the use of camera to capture amazing shots is one of the best aspects of this short film.

Editing: The editing is obviously quite prominent in this short film, with time lapses used to fasten the action. Whilst, at normal pace, this could be a rather dull short film, the time lapses capture a long period of time in a few seconds, and so this technique is used to gauge the audience's interests. Moreover, there aren't too many cuts in this film, allowing the amazing shots of the film to speak for themselves. The pace fastens at the end of the film as the film builds to a dramatic crescendo; editing reinforces the sense of wonder at the end of the film. Putting the astronaut at the end of the film brings the film into reality, shocking the viewer as all these shots of the planet have actually been seen, in person, and so the final shots tie in nicely with the films title.

Mise-en-Scene: The vibrancy and colour of the planet is what makes this film remarkable. The quality of the shots can't be underestimated, capturing the features of the planet clearly. When the film shows part of the planet in darkness, the otherworldly colours and flashing lights has an almost surreal quality that looks like something out of a science-fiction film. I like the juxtaposition of these wild, fantastical shots with the space station itself. It reinforces the idea that these shots are an actual feat of human achievement, and so the films message is ultimately quite positive and hopeful.

Sound: The music in this short film is excellent in capturing the emotion present in the film. It's very powerful in stirring the viewer's emotions; it has a futuristic tone which ties in with the idea that the film looks rather surreal and sci-fi-themed. Moreover, the music builds in intensity, kind of like the way the edits become quicker, as the film reaches a spectacular finale. The music therefore adds to the sense of wonder and amazement the film provokes.

The World Outside My Window is possibly the most unique film that I've analyzed. It's a short film that is really powerful and thought-provoking within the confines of its short running time, and has added to my confidence that I can produce an affecting short film of my own within five minutes.

Animatic

Shooting Schedule

You may have seen in my pitch post that I had come up with an example shooting schedule, to demonstrate that I had considered when, where and what things I would shoot together. Today, I'd like to share my revised shooting schedule; the reason for the change includes the availability of the actors, coupled with the fact that I wanted to make sure the actors fully understood the story and their characters, which recently I've been unsure of:

 

Saturday 21th December '13 10am-4pm: Shoot all the outdoor scenes on Milton Fields road (Actors needed: Poulton, Back, O'Reilly).

 Monday 23rd December 10am-12pm: Marriage counsellor scene (Actors needed: Poulton, O'Reilly, Fiona Harnett).

Saturday 28th December 6pm-8pm: Conservatory and bathroom.

Editing and post-production completed over Xmas holidays 2013-2014.

Short Film Analysis #7: "First Light"

A consistent theme in this series, this is another really well-made, style-over-substance short film which has the potential for poetic and insightful interpretations. At just over two minutes long, the film captures the first light of a new day, emphasizing what symbolic connotations a sun represents, a new day, a metaphor for hope. Each film I look at has had some small connection to my own short film, in order to ensure I always have something to learn from; in this case, I loved the cinematography, plus the shots capturing the eyes of the protagonists as they look off-frame, something I aim to do in my own short film. "First Light" can be seen below:

   

 Camera: A common repetition of shot type is the close-up of the children looking upwards in profile; this shot, albeit repeated perhaps too often, helps contribute to the idea of the significance of the first light,what it means and represents to all these children. Asides from this there's quite a lot of variation in shot types, long shots, mid-shots, coupled with extreme close-ups, all of which add to the scope and enchanting nature of the short film.  a zoom is used at one point, intensifying the emotion of the piece. High-angled shots adds to the idea of innocence and naivety,whilst low-angled shots makes us, the audience, feel part of the action. Soft focus in the background adds to the dreamy-like quality of the film. Therefore, the planning of angles and styles of shot contribute to making an effective short. 

Cinematography: A large part of what makes this short film so special is its cinematography. The way in which the film has been shot gives the film a cinematic style that engages the audience. The combination of otherworldly colours and soft focus camera shots adds to the films reflective and emotive tone; the cinematography therefore is really fundamental to a film of this nature, particularly when there's no dialogue or plot, and so the quality of shots captured is key to making this short film a success.

Editing: The lack of edits in this short film and its long shots add to the reflective nature of the short film. No character is given more prevalence; it feels as though the film is trying to say that an entire generation of youth is looking for hope, which reinforces the philosophical message of the film. Editing adds to the ambiguity of the film- the setting and characters constantly changes, and the omission of what the children are looking at for part of the film adds to the mystery of the short film.

Mise-En-Scene: Shots of animals, nature and impoverished children creates a naturalistic tone. The light of the sun is red, which has symbolic connotations of danger, or perhaps love and compassion, which links in with the positive message of the film. The characters are all young, I believe, as it adds to the idea of the younger generations have this opportunity for hope.The mise-en-scene contains a variety of colours and, amongst all the poverty and rubble, creates a sense of vibrancy

Sound: Eerie non-diegetic music complements the slow, melancholy and ferflective tone of the film. Like a film soundtrack, it's an emotive track that encourages thought with its ethereal sound. The lack of diegetic sound reinforces the idea that the purpose of the short film is to be philosophical and reflective, as opposed to film that aims to entertain with dialogue or plot. In this respect, its quite a sophisticated short film.

"First Light" was definitely a moving and thought-provoking short film about the idea of hope, opportunity and faith set amidst the backdrop of poverty. The film showed me the power of cinematography and non-diegetic music, and so in this way I hope to emulate the success of "First Light" in my own short film.

Short Film Analysis #6: "30% (Women and Politics in Sierra Leone)"

Next in my series of short films is an intriguing documentary, told through live action whilst interspersed with some stunning oil-paint animation. The film follows the plight of three women and their fight to improve the position of women in politics in a nation ruled by men. The film's insight and message, coupled with the unique way in which these messages are conveyed, make it a truly fascinating short film to look at; 

Camera: The film uses naturalistic styles of shots in the live action segments to add to the authenticity of the short film, making he audience focus more on the women's message as opposed to the grandeur of the camera angles and cinematography. Examples of this include the shaking camera as one of the woman walks along; it feels personal, as though we as the audience are with them. Close-ups are used to make the audience identify with the women, whereas any shots of men are either mid-shots or long shots. Moreover, the men are often framed in two's or three's, creating the idea that the men adopt this pack mentality.

Cinematography: A possible criticism of the film is the way in which the film possibly looks a bit disjointed in the contrasts between the lush, rich animation and the blandness of the live action. Perhaps this is the point, to bring into harsh focus the realities of the situation the women are in. Indeed, the animation is stunning, the artwork is brilliant, and the slightly surreal style of the animation is really reflective of what memories are often like, snapshots of the past. The animation is a unique form of storytelling, and is also arguably a more effective form of recreation than a badly dramatised Crimewatch-style recreation.

Editing: The film is an attempt to highlight the importance of women's rights, and so perhaps it's unsurprising that the film's director pointedly focuses on women, holding the most prevalence on screen. Seamless transitions between live action and animations creates the idea that Sierra Leone has the potential to be a colorful, vibrant place. The slow nature of cuts adds to the reflective tone of the piece; therefore, editing is significant in the way it adds to the message of the film.

Mise-En-Scene: The mise-en-scene conveys the vibrancy and otherworldly nature of Sierra Leone through the use of animation. The bold primary colours gives the film a level of gravitas, and makes the film more compelling to the viewer. Moreover, the film's mise-en-scene conveys the difficulties the country faces, such as poverty, and also the contrast between the numbers of men and women in parliament. The filmmaker hints at a number of different key issues, which makes the film more of a talking point.

Sound: The dialogue in this film is crucial; there isn't a conventional, linear plot, and so the diegetic words are crucial in conveying ideas and imagery. The woman's words can be seen as non-diegetic when the film goes into flashback, and authentic sound effects such as women and children screaming are used to used to make this imagery all the more clear to the audience. The stories told by this women are fundamentally important, and so sound is a key element in the success of this short film.

This short film conveys key issues, and is an interesting and engaging documentary. Flashbacks are a key element of my short film, and so I've found the route this filmmaker went down very interesting and insightful.