Production Tips
Posted on Wednesday, 28 October 2009
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Diegesis
Is a way of combining diegetic and non-diegetic material to create meaning for the image or moving text.
Diegetic material is when the character is aware of the of the sound e.g talking, thunder, etc. Non-diegetic sound is added for the entertainment of the audience, examples atmospheric music, soundtrack music, voice-over or narration.
The film Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist has a large amount of non-diegetic sound. It use a large amount of the soundtrack music through the film, this is done to give the film a feel good theme. The film makers also make some of the music diegetic, they do this by playing it though the car radio or the band playing it at a gig.
Camera Work and Framing
When filming it is always best to use a tripod so that camera shake is less likely, however handheld is used if the film is documentary themed. To give the appearance of normality in the shot do not use a moving shot, as this obscures the norm. This is done in the cult film Jaws this is done after a boy is killed by the great white shark and the hero of the story realise that the boy is being killed. Another a tip is to stay clear of zooming as this makes the film seem unprofessional.
For filming it is suggested to use a widescreen framing as this also adds the pro look. Also mainly use mid and longs shots and use close-ups sparingly as this is on the big screen, and not a TV series.
Remember to use the rule of thirds when filming as this is a way to make some visually interesting shots. This done by not having the object perfectly central, is they are slightly to the side it makes a unique visual image.
To establish the actions of a character combine types of shot with distances, this is essential for the ‘language of film’. For example, shot of person walking to door long shot, person near door medium shot and then hand handle to open door close up.
Camera shots are a key way into making a person seem powerful or powerless. You do this with the simpleness of an angle, to make a person powerful do a low angle shot and to make them powerless do a high angle shot.
Lighting
Here are a few tips to make your film look professional:
- Use natural light - sunlight, in shadow, in mist, through rain - use these depending on the effect that you want to carry out e.g. Rain = sadness maybe a funeral.
- Cheap and cheerful light - To make your own artificial light simply use a tourch, security lights, neon signs, street light and if you have carried out the risk assessments, candles, firelight, etc.
- Colour filters - to give an area a different lighting use coloured liquids, vases, etc. However you can use an effect on the computer to add filters
- Positioning the light - experiment with the lighting as it cause different atmospheres
Combining Sound, Image and Titles
It is harder than it looks to put clips with the timing of the music not to mention the appropriate type of music for the clips. So be careful with your decision on the music and the style. When adding the music think about what shots would go best with the style of the part the music i.e. So if it a fast beat you will probably want someone running.
It is also hard to choose the right titles for the film, because you don’t want the film titles to be with guns and then for the film to have nothing to do with guns. So make the text suit the film and also the rhythm of the music.
After Viewing of Somers Town
Posted on Wednesday, 21 October 2009
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Genre
How would you categorise this film in terms of genre?
In terms of genre I would not call it a drama film, this is because I felt it was more on the lines of a documentary. I get this from how the story is built around the experience of a northern homeless boy and a polish boy who has come over with his farther. It also shows the effects of being away your family in an unknown city.
What do you think is the film’s appeal for audiences?
I believe that a big appeal to the audience is that the film shot in black and white, to add the effect of the surroundings. Another attraction to the film would be that it is a very traditional British film, by it being based on the working class and having a low budget, this would entices the audience as there are not many traditional English films any more.
As well as being in black and white, the film is subtitled during a conversations in Polish between Marek and his farther; there are also sections in French. In what ways do these factors affect your responses to the film, the situation and the characters?
With the characters speaking in there native language gives the film the authentic feal that I believe that they where trying to get across in the. As I believe the film is about different cultures coming together in Somers Town and to get this though they would need to have the actor speaking the tounge of the character.
What similarities and differences can you identify between Somers Town and This is England?
The similarities between the two films are that they are both set around a child or teenager who is lost and confused about the environment that he is living in, Also how the characters both gain and loses friends or family. A similar thing is that both of the filming takes place around an estate.
The differences of the films are that Somers Town is shot completely in black and white, to display the area of London, but the other film has to show the bleakness of the area, by showing the torment that Shaun does though at the beginning of the holidays.
Representation
To what extent do you think the audience is expected to be ‘comfortable’ with this portrait of two teenagers?
I believe that the two teenagers are not displayed in a bad way as they are just acting out because of the story line. Marek acts the a responsable way because he fears of what his farther will do if he does anything bad, however you see a change in this when the French women leaves. Tomo on the other hand does not seem to have a bad streak as he is shown on the film, he shows no attitude towards the teenagers when they beat him up or when Marek’s dad catches him in the house. Overall I believe they are not shown in a negative way.
In what different ways do Tomo and Marek seek to amuse themselves within this enviroment? Do you think the film encourages us to judge any of their actions?
As I said before the film doesn’t give a strong valid reason to judge there actions. However because of the environment they make there own fun attempting to sell chairs and pushing the French women home.
What message of childhood adolescence do you, or could you, take away from the film?
To be honest the film does show a very positive view of teenagers. This is shown near the beginning of the film where Tomo is beaten, thus giving the impression that all London teenagers are thugs.
Do your reactions towards the boys change at different pionts in the film? Which moments in particular?
- When Tomo is mugged at the beginning we are encouraged to sympathise for him as he has lost his only thing that can relate him to home. I felt sorry for Marek when his dad leaves him to go out drinking with mates and Marek just wonders around looking for things to take photographs of.
- One part that I didn’t feel sympathetic for the boys is when they steal the clothes for the laundrette, and later finding out that they are a woman’s clothes leaving Tomo to wearing them as his other clothes are ruined.
To what extent would you agree that Meadows is playing with stereotypes in his representation of these characters?
The film actually comes out very stereotypical, it does this with many characters. One is Marek dad, the Polish the are thought of as very hard working throughout the English community, and as Mariusz (Marek’s dad) says “My boss said I was very had working and the best he has”, this very stereotypical to the Polish.
Notes on Somers Town
Posted on Monday, 19 October 2009
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Before the showing of Somers Town we had a 20 minute talk about what make a British film, the new wave and a little about Shane Meadows
What makes a British Film?
The thing that make a British film, British the following:
- They tend to be about everyday people
- The Budget doesn’t go in to the millions, they are normal very low budget being Asponsored by small companies.
- Normally about the working class.
British New Wave 1958 - 1963
During this time period came the expansion of film making. Our new wave happened very closely with the French new wave, the well known film for this is “Look Back in Anger”. You maybe asking what changed? Well with sexual content becoming less strict film makers started adding sexual scenes in to the films. This is not the only thing, before the new wave the films where very simple the heroes always won against the villains. But with the new age the villains sometimes won.
About Shane Meadows
Shane Meadow (1962) is a self taught Director, Screen Writer and Actor he is also a working class man. He started filming in 1969, with his first film “Small Time”, but however he was not well know until he brought out the film “This Is England” (2006). Meadows also brought a variety of short films starting form 1994.
Once Upon a Time in The West
Posted on Wednesday, 14 October 2009
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For our research into making a opening scene I have been asked to take analyse notes on the beginning of “Once Upon a Time in the West”. We were told to take notes on the sounds, digetic (Natural to the film e.g voices, wind, doors, etc) and non-digetic (not natural to the film or has been added, music screams, etc), also camera shots and effects add to the film.
When going though the film I found that there are many digetic and non-digetic noises. A digetic noises that I noticed is in the first couple of seconds, it is the creak of the door the film makers kept this in to show that someone is coming in to the train station. They also add a tension through the sound of the chalk board as this makes you feel uncomfortable, which really goes along with the opening of the film. Again though the sound thay give an impression of what the area is like, this is where they are panning up the cowboy and you hear the wind, however the cowboy is inside the house thus giving the impression that the area is desolate and also giving the house a decrypted theme. Another noises is the slow foot steps of the cowboy this is done to give an impression of him before you see him. The impression that is given is to show that he is relaxed and powerful.
In the opening of the film there are also non-digetic sounds these are there to add tension to the beginning. One is the noise form the bird, the bird starts to make noise when the cowboy starts to open the door; this is giving a hint at danger coming.
The opening has a variety of camera angles to give you the impression of what the actor is felling. One of the first shots of the film is a frail old man writing something on a chalk board and zooms out, this is done to show the old man’s job. The zoom out also does a slight upwards tilt to signify how weak the old man is. A suspense that the film maker put in was a slow upwards pan of a cowboy, this was done to add suspense to the man. To show that the old man is surrounded by the conterventional cowboys there is a pan around the houses showing a cowboy step in to each of the get away points.
Through the opening there is not a great deal of effects, which is not surprising with the time of its making. However there is one effect that caught my eye, this effect was simply a ticket flowing in the wind that went straight towards the camera. However there where some other effect nevertheless they are simple ones like the fans to create the winds of the desolate areas.
Somers Town
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For a trip we are going on in the near future we been told to da a little background information and other black and white films.
I believe that the reason the director produced the film in black and white and not in colour, was to show the true nature of the town. What I mean by this is that the area of London is not a cheery place so to get though the harshness of the city Shane Meadows produced it in black and white.
Other black and white films:
Clerks – Kevin Smith
Release Date: 5 May 1995
Genre: Comedy
Director’s Reputation: Kevin Smith has been won 9 awards and 8 nominations
he has worked also produced 18 films and written 21
Reaction to it: On the IMBd website it scored 8/10 with 83,632 votes
Pi – Darren Aronofsky
Release Date: 8 January 1999
Genre: Thriller and Sci-fi
Director’s Reputation: Darren Aronofsky was a director on 8 film, written 7 and has produced 4 films
Reaction to the Film: On the IMBd website it scored 7.6/10 with 48,832 votes
Raging Bull – Martin Scorsese
Release Date: 19 February 1981
Genre: Biography, Drama and Sport
Director’s Reputation: Martin Scorsese was a director in 49 film, also he produced 37
Reaction to the Film: On the IMBd website it scored 8.4/10 with 79,996 votes
About the area and filming
The sounds that I expect to here in the film are:
• Cars going pass
• Car alarms
• Buses
• Chatting
Based on the setting of the film I believe that the film will be along the lines of a child trying to find his way in the world, but because of the harshness of London he finds it difficult and makes friends in the unlikely of places.
Final Cut Express
Posted on Monday, 12 October 2009
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On the 9th of October we continued our understanding of how to use Final Cut Express. On the day we started to put the film together, and input the music.
To add a scene to the film, you can either click and drag the scene on to the timeline or you can place it on to the second view screen. If you do this a box will appear (like the one to the left), there are a number of choices to choose from. if you press the insert button it will simply insert it to the timeline. However if overwrite button is selected you will lose any of the work that the yellow arrow head is placed.
To trim or edit then selected scene you can either edit the scene in the first view book by selecting the in and out timings. Another way to edit the scene is to simple click on the end of the scene (once it is in the timeline) and then move it up or down untill have the place were you want it to begin or end.
You can also edited or trim the music the same way as clip. Also once in the timeline, if you click on a small button at the bottom with a circle in it, you can get the to suddenly drop in music or slowly increase. However to do this you will need more than one dot on the music level so click on the button twice.
Posted on Friday, 9 October 2009
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"G321 Preliminary task",
"G322A TV Drama",
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"G322A TV drama", "G322B Film industry", "Induction unit", "G321 Preliminary task", "Exam"
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No Country for Old Men
Posted on Wednesday, 7 October 2009
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No Country for Old Men
In AS Media we have recently gone on to unit G321 - Thriller Research. A thriller is an action film that also brings a feeling of suspense. For our research we have been asked to study the beginnings of thriller films to find out what brings us to conclude that the film is a thriller. The first film that we watched was the award winning “No Country for Old Men”. We watched the first 10 minutes of the film to see if it conformed to the conventions of a thriller film.
From the beginning of the film to about thirty seconds in to the movie it is completely silent, even the titles of the production companies are silent, which adds to the mystery.
The first thing to break the silence is the narrater who is also a main character, the sheriff Ed Tom Bell, played by Tommy Lee Jones. By him narrating the beginning makes it feel like a story, thus giving us the impression that he survives to the end of the movie. While he talks, the background shows a desolate plains, giving the feeling of being alone or abandoned in the middle of nowhere, thus adding a conventional feel to the typical thriller scene. However, a few seconds later the sun starts to rise giving the symbolic theme after darkness there is always light, or in this situation good always wins. This hints that the ending will be a be a “Happily ever after” theme, which is much like thrillers but there is more violence in the middle of the film than the cartoon Disney films. 
In the next scene the focus is on a suspicious man who is arrested by a traditional Texan officer, the character even has the classical or mirrored glasses. We do not see the face of the man for a few scenes, adding the suspense of what he looks like and who he may be. In the scene after the arrest, the officer places what looks like an oxygen tube with an attached hose in to the car, this raises the question what is the tube and what is it for?Overall these scenes add an extra amount of thrill.At the beginning of the next scene the police office gives a description of the tube over the telephone and he also explains that the suspect had the hose running down his arm. This adds another question about the oxygen tube. This is a typical thriller start to a beginning of a film, which is that there are an amount of unanswered questions at the start, some still at the end.
While the officer is on the phone the suspect somehow manages to slip the hand cuffs from behind him around to his front, he does this with very little effort raising another question, how many times has he done that? The suspect’s face is now visible for the first time, as he moves across to the officer and starts to strangle him, as he does this the suspect jumps back pulling the officer to the ground, as the suspect is strangling him some blood now starts to squirt out from his neck, the suspect flinches at this giving the thought that he may not be so psychotic after all. However, after the police officer is dead, he lets out a deep breath giving the thought of him being relaxed that the officer is dead. This is another conventional part of a thriller film, the deep breathing.
After the death of the police officer the suspect or killer goes and collects the oxygen tube with the attached hose. In the next scene the killer is driving in a police car; he waits until he see a car and then hits the sirens, thus causing the driver to obey authority by pulling over. Here we have the killer’s deception, he pretends to be something he is not to lure his pray, this is also a typical thriller deception. In the next scene he asks the driver to step out of the car, which he eventually does with a little persuasion from the killer. When the driver is out of the car the killer asked him to “hold still”, holding the hose connected to the oxygen tube to his head and presses a button causing compressed air to come out of the hose, the driver drops dead. This is also a conformity to thriller weapons, how something that seems harmless can be turned in to a weapon. This happens in films like “Shot em up”, where he kills everyone with a carrot. Another one is also “The Bourne Identity”, where Jason Bourne kills a man with a biro pen.
The scene of “No Country for Old Men” suddenly changes to the cross sight of a gun which is aimed at a deer. The new character looks up and sees a dark cloud moving towards the deer. This could be seen as a pathetic fallacy, hinting at things getting worse for the hunter. The hunter then goes back to his gun and says “hold still” and fires. With the two characters saying the same thing indicates that the two of them are hunters, suggesting that killing a person is equal to the killing of a deer.
In the next scenes the hunter starts to walk after the deer he shot, the scene shows him walking though what looks like a waste land that is completely flat. This gives the impression of the hunter to a lone ranger, which goes with his cowboy look.
He stumbles across some dried blood leading one way and and fresh blood leading another, he looks in his binoculars to see where the fresh blood leads, he spots a dog limping, he then follows the direction that the dog came from. As the hunter gets closer to where the dog came from he realises that there are bodies on the ground. The bodies on the ground do not shock, giving the impression that he has been around bodies before and grown use to them, brining up another question of what he use to do or what has he seen? This is another thing that is used in thriller films quiet a bit, the one guy who is Mr America, meaning that he has seen things that other people haven’t, thus making him to be less vulnerable to emotions raised by bodies. This is also shown in the scene where he finds a person who has been shot asking for water, all he says is “I don’t have any water”. The hunter then leaves him and walks in the direction of where the vehicles came from. This also another typical thriller character, the person that looks after number one.
Final Cut Express and More
Posted on Monday, 5 October 2009
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Final Cut Express is a video editing software developed by Apple. Final Cut Express is an easy way to edit like a professional, without the expensive price. The software comes with a wide range of useful extras, create the prefect music for the video, Add custom titles to the film, also add sophisticated looking transitions and effects.
Using the Final Cut Express software i found out that it is much easier to capture my video to the software by easily selecting the scene by using the i and o button. these mean i-in and o-out, once you have selected the part which you wish to begin at press the i button and the place you wish to stop press the o button. after this press capture and watch it record the film to the file.
To create a new file or bin (as it is called on Final Cut Express), to make this go to File at the top of the screen and select new bin. after this you can change the name to whatever you like. Another thing to capture your film to the bin, have the bin selected and then go to the capture setting.
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1st Post
Hello
I have just started Reepham six form, taking Media, Art, Photography, Psychology. I am really enjoying all of the subjects that i have taken.
In my free time like to watch TV, Listen to Music, play basketball, paint and generally socialize. I am really liking Jamie T's Album Sticks 'n' Stones
Me
