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Preliminary Exercise Evaluation

1) Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?
I worked in a team of 3 with Nico Socratous and Raef Commissar. During the planning, we discussed the brief, created an idea and wrote a script together. Nico wrote a shot list while I drew the storyboard then Raef filled in the technical details on the storyboard. During filming, I took most of the shots since Nico and Raef were acting as the characters in the clip. In the shots where only Nico was acting e.g. where he was walking towards the room, Raef would film and I would hold the boom pole. Similarly, the shots without Raef were filmed by Nico e.g. reaction shot and pen spinning close up shot.

2) How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use? What theories did you try to take into account?

We first looked at the brief and started thinking of ideas for the task. The brief was strict in some ways e.g. it had to have two characters, but open to interpretation e.g. the characters did not have a set dialouge. After deciding on our general story, we started writing our script.

 

Our script

Using our script, we drew a storyboard, taking a wide range of shots into consideration in order to create a short clip that draws the audience in. We made sure to make use of continuity theories such as the 180 degrees rule, match on action, shot/reverse shot and others to create narrative flow. A shot list was then typed out so that we could cross off the shots we had taken as we were filming.

A sample of our storyboard

3) What technology did you use to complete the task, and how did you use it?

A Canon Legria HV40

• The camera we we used was a Canon Legria HV40 which had a multiangle screen. This allowed us to shoot from unusual angles, such as from the floor, and still be able to see what we were doing. Sometimes we used the playback mode to check if a certain shot had worked well, but we mostly stuck to the shoot mode.
• We could use the tripod to keep the camera at a fixed position. It was easy to adjust the height and angle. It also helped when we wanted do a steady pan shot, as the tripod kept the camera at the same level and pivoted. The camera could then be removed from the tripod is hand held shots, then reattached later.
• With the boom microphone attached to the boom pole we were able to get the microphone closer to the speaker so that the audio would be clearer. Although since there were some shots where only one person was behind the camera (when two people were acting) we had to lean the boom mic on tables or chairs instead of supporting it ourselves.
• The non-linear editing program that we used was called Adobe Premier Pro CS3. It is very user-friendly and we captured and edited our footage easily. It offered many useful features such as the razor tool (to split a clip into several sections, this was convenient when I was editing parts of the conversation), being zooming on the time bar (using this to improve the accuracy of the timing), clips attaching "magnetically" (so that it would automatically connect to the end of another clip when dragged nearby, which saved a lot of time).

A screenshot of Adobe Premiere Pro CS3

 4) What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing? 
Planning

• What settings are available to us at our allocated time?
• Is the lighting in that particular setting suitable? If not, could we alter it?
• Who is most suitable for certain tasks? (e.g. acting, cameraman, director)
• What order should we set-up shots in to improve efficiency? Would it clash with the other group or public activity? (e.g. classes ending)
• Is the story easy to follow?
• Do we have enough time to get all the shots in?

Shooting

• Is the acting consistant?
• Does the shot break any continuity theories?
• Is the shot framed correctly?
• Are there any foreign noises?
• Did that shot go well? Should we retake it?
• Is the boom mic out of shot?

Editing

• Are there any continuity errors? Can it be edited so they are not included or not as noticable?
• Is the shot order smooth so that viewers can follow the change of space easily?
• Do the cut actions match up to each other?
• Are there any audio volume adjustments necessary?

5) How successful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what would you improve/ do differently?
Overall, it turned out successful as I had stuck to the brief and created a continuity sequence involving filiming and editing a character opening a door,  crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite a nother character, with whom he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue.

Despite following the brief, there  were still many errors such as his arm being by his side in the first shot, but raised in the second shot that follows it, and unwanted objects being in shot. There is also bit of buzzing background noise. At some point during editing, one of our shots did not capture correctly, so we had to set up the original footage again and recapture that shot.

My favourite shot of the whole sequence would be the photo slide shot because it smoothly and steadily follows the photo across the table. The 180-degree and 30-degree rule was not brokend. We also managed to add a match-on-action shot with the hand slamming on the table, although we had already planned to have a match-on-action shot of his hand opening the door.

6) What have you learnt from completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework, do you think?
I had not edited footage before this task so I was taught the basics of editing at the start of the capturing and editing time we were given and picked it up quickly. I also learnt how to set up a boom mic, boom pole, tripod. The continuity theories such as match on action, shot/reverse shot, 180-degree rule and others, that I have learnt will also become useful later on as it is important to create narrative flow. I now know it is important to shoot many takes of the same shot if you are unsure if it turned out well in order to give yourself more choice during editing, just in case some shots had minor errors. This task taught me many thing and I'll definitely remember what I have learnt and use it during the rest of my foundation coursework.

Film Opening Analysis

LINK

Hot Fuzz (2007)

1) Identify the genre.

Action, comedy.

2) Who are the main characters?
Nicholas Angel, a police constable. It is very clear who the main character is as the entire opening follows him. There is also dialouge and short flashbacks telling/ showing us information about the protagonist, such as his education and training so far.

 3) How has narrative been constructed?
There are no obvious villians in the opening sequence but we can definitely tell who the main character is. The opening has the protagonist in focus at all times in order to introduce him clearly. We follow Nicholas Angel walking on his way to the Sergeant, as he walks we see flashbacks of his life with dialouge to make what is going on clear to the audience. He then arrives at the Sergeant's office, sits down and has a conversation with him. Characters with higher ranks are called in to discuss a problem and this eventually leaves Nicholas with no choice but to follow the orders given to him.

4) What is the key iconography and how does it signify the genre?
Action:-

• Police officers are often signify action in films.
• As the main character is highly trained, the audience would expect those skills become useful later on in the film.

Comedy:-

• Famous comedians such as Bill Nighy, Steve Coogan have roles.
• Repetitive dialouge between characters.
• Supposedly strict characters (inspector, chief inspector) are laid back and relaxed.

5) Identify the audience pleasures/expectations.

• Cop has to solve a problem and fight some villians at some point.
• Impressive fights/ stunts.
• Comedy mixed in with action and mystery.
• Possibly experience part of the protagonist's everyday life.
• Escapism into a police officer's life.
• Fans may watch the film because they want to support someone in the film, famous actors, comedians, directors etc.

Continuity Clip Analysis

The Social Network (2010)

To start off with, we have an over the shoulder shot, which brings us directly into the conversation without any sort of establishing shot. The character facing us, the lawyer, is speaking but the protagonist, Mark, is turned away so that the audience can see his face and so that he is not looking at the speaker. This shows his uninterest of the conversation. At 00:07  the scene cuts to one of a different scene, where the sentence is carried on by a different character, Eduardo. This signifies that the scene is a flashback or flashfoward. Both the cut in and out of the courtroom scene is a confusing for the audience and forces their minds to jump from one setting to another.

Match-on-action is used at 00:46 when Mark looks out of shot and it cuts to where he is looking. It is also used at 01:15 when Mark says "...sitting here listening to people lie" and then turns to look at one of the characters opposite him, obviously stating that he thinks that the clients are lying. The technique is used once more when the lawyer looks away and the camera cuts to show what he is looking at, which is the reaction of the people opposite him.

The 180 degrees rule is used continuously throughout the clip to follow the conversation, for example at 00:32 when the camera cuts from an over the shoulder shot of the lawyer to an over the shoulder shot of Mark in order to show that he is speaking.

Accident Sequence Reflections

1) Describe the sequence you planned to create and identify the 6 shots you used.

We planned to create an accident sequence following a person who runs down a hallway and attempts to go through a door, although he does not realise it is locked and slams into it. We used a long shot pan, a long to mid shot tilt, a medium long shot, a mid shot, a medium long shot and a mid shot.

2) In order to create a sequence that made sense, what did you actually have to do during production?

We had to create a sequence that was easy to follow with a smooth narrative flow, so we decided to keep it simple. To start with, we had a long shot pan of the corridor to establish the setting and where the character was in it.

3) What was your specific contribution to the activity?

During this activity I helped decided the setting and layout of the sequence, I filmed a few of the shots and I indicated to the actor/ camera(wo)man when to start filming or running as we were not allowed to edit the sequence at all, so the filming and actions had to be done right the first time.

4) Does your sequence work? ie does it make sense?

I think the sequence makes sense overall but the fifth shot is too short to get a of grasp what is going on. The fifth shot makes the sixth shot harder to follow. Another problem is that it is hard to tell where the door is in relation to the protagonist.

5) What improvements could you make?

The fifth shot could have been a bit longer, at least until he hits the floor. The second shot could show him turning, just about to run into the door, as that would have helped make the narrative flow easier to follow and show where the door actually is along the corridor.

Classwork Part2

3) Visit the Art of the Title sequence website and pick three opening sequences of the same genre/sub-genre.

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Coraline (2009)

Juno (2007)

4) Identify a range of similarities and differences, thinking mainly about function and form/conventions of openings and genre signifiers.

Similarities:-

• All three are animated.
• Kung Fu Panda and Juno were animated traditionally.
• Coraline and Juno have credits in the opening sequence.
• Juno and Kung Fu Panda make it clear who the main character is.
• They all show the title at some point.
• Coraline and Juno both have music all the way through the opening sequence.
• Juno and Coraline are both slow paced in order to go through some of the credits.

Differences:-

• Kung Fu Panda has dialouge.
• Coraline was animated using stop motion.
• Kung Fu Panda uses bold colours; reds and yellows. Coraline uses dark colours. Juno uses calm colours; blues and greens.
• Kung Fu Panda has no credits in the opening sequence.
• Coraline does not show the main character but there is a reference to her.
• Two of the three play music throughout the scene, but Kung Fu Panda uses music only to emphiasise actions.
• Kung Fu Panda follows a dream. Coraline follows the process of making a doll. Juno follows the journey the protagonist takes.

Film Poster Analysis

V for Vendetta (2006)

Genre Conventions:-

• Thriller; slanted angle, masked face, black, white and red colour theme, shrouded main character
• Action; determined expression, raised knife, bold font, armed forces
• Political; burning House of Parliament, army, Guy Fawkes mask, motivational propaganda style slogan

Denotations and Connotations/ Iconography:-

• Army suggests authority and law, but the fact that they are turned away from our main character suggests he is not on the same side. This could draw in the audience as  they may want to know more about the movie.
• The main characters are shown in the foreground, male and female. This signifies some romance.
• Mask implies that the character has something to hide, possibly a dark past or a secret of some sort.
• House of Parliament on fire signifies destruction, corruption or breaking of law.
• Raised knife heavily violence and action.

Expections/ Audience Pleasures:-

• Escapism to an alternative world of action.
• Political issues raised in the film may interest some viewers.
• Audience may be expecting to see the face behind the mask at some point in the film.

Classwork Part1

1) Write a list of summary points about what you think the functions of an opening sequence are.

• Draw the audience's interest.
• Introduce the audience to the character(s).
• Establish the setting.
• Set up the genre of the film.
• Make the viewers think about what could happen later on in the film.
• State the major contributers in the film (credits).
• Establish an equilibrium that could be disrupted later on.

2) Write a list of summary points about the typical conventions of an opening sequence.  Can you identify different categories of openings?

• Credits
• Main characters
• Establishing shot
• Title
• Theme tune

Homework comments BLK

Excellent work Jeng. Your photo analysis work is particularly good, with a high level of media terminology used and a high level of learning demonstrated around framing/lighting. Well done! Your blog is great too, but don't forget to add your photo, and a few film-related links in your list would be ideal.  

Film Opening Analysis

Monsters, Inc. (2001)

Claude Levi-Strauss' Binary Opposites:-

• Monsters vs. children.
• Soft bed contrasts with sharp teeth and claws.
• Its quiet and peaceful, but monster enters and theres screaming (from monster and child).
• Fear of monster at first, but monster is comedic.
• Normality of bedroom and abnormality of monsters.
• Monster factory seems normal , until you see the workers.
• Order of room at first, but monster enters and wrecks the setting.
• Small room vs. large monster.-Room compared to the factory it is in.
• Normal children are being called "dangerous" by the monsters whereas humans would call the monsters dangerous.

Roland Barthes' Five Codes:-

Enigma Code:-

• Whats behind the door?
• Why is the monster scaring the child?
• Why is the monster scared of the child?
• Who are the other monsters?
• Who is the overgrown spider
• Why do they think that a child's touch will kill them?
• Does the touch of a child actually kill them?
• Who is James P. Sullivan?

Action Code:-

• Child to tucked into bed.
• Wardrobe door creaks open.
• Monster is underneath bed.
• Monster rises and looms over child.
• Child and monster scream at sight of each other.
• Monster trips backwards and wrecks room comically.
• Sirens blare and part of the wall rises to reveal a room full of monsters.
• The room appears to be some sort of testing facility.

Semiotic Code:-

• Toys; warm, homely, innocent, child like.
• Blue colours suggest calm and cool.
• Wardrobe; dark, you don't know whats lurking inside it.
• Glowing eyes; menacing, sinister, mysterious.
• Tripping over; comedic, clumsy.
• Suits imply wealth and authority.

Cultural Code:-

• Starts with a scene we all know, a child's bedroom full of toys.
• Plays with the way we percieve monsters.
• Shows the typical toys that a child might have had at that time.
• Spotlights suggest a stage, a show of some sort.
• Monsters wearing clothing, this is showing that they are "civilised" and equal to humans.

Symbolic Code:-

• Monster comes in from the shadows; dark, mysterious, may be hiding something.
• Monster wearing suits next to monsters wearing nothing show that they are of a higher class than most.
• Some of the monsters look like real life animals; spiders and sea creatures.

Photo Reflections

 

1) Describe your shot and identify in what way it could be described as representing your chosen genre.

This is a close up of a character's foot, stepping into shot, but also an extra long shot of the character in the background. Although the camera is focused on the shoe, the lack of people in the area and the centre positioning implies that the girl in the distance is also an important character. The photograph could be a still from a romance drama, with this scene being the one in which the protagonist first sees her love interest and it is "love at first sight". The shot is well lit with green, suggesting a moderately happy or neutral scene.

2) What did you actually do to achieve the effect?

For this shot I wanted to get as close to the ground as possible in order to gain a better sense of perspective, so I sat on the floor and took the photo from where I was sitting. I didn't want the protagonist's image to be blocked by the foot, yet I still wanted the whole shoe in the shot. So I had to pan the camera across till I found an angle that fitted both in.

3) Identify what is successful about your shot.

If I had to say what was most successful in this shot, I would the depth that was achieved. The person in the background is slightly blurred, although she catches your eye as she stands in the centre of the image. The foot in the foreground draws your attention at the same time, stepping in from the right side of the camera.

4) What would you do differently in hindsight?

It would be ideal if I asked the actor at the back to show a shocked expression, as it would give a deeper story to the currently simple shot. Another thing that could be changed is the setting. Instead of a garden, a street could be used, with a busy road in-between the space of the two characters. She could be easily picking out the boy from the clustered group of people.