5/6/13 Screening our Experimental Films

En Quête de la Raison - George, Travis, Jacob, Lawrence

• Isolated and explored each element of a film to great comedic effect; cinematography, editing, plot/content.
• Breaking the 4th wall to create a warped version of their first film-Standard Case-with manipulated cinematography and effectively, a severed plot. Suggested a film within a film.
• Complete rejection of cinematic conventions led the audience to think about the basic elements of a film.

How Doth the Alligator - Angela, Allissa, Wilson, Henry

• artistic cinematic techniques (projections, superimposition, reflections)
• separation between reality and fantasy; from "outside looking in"
• choppy soundtrack enhanced thematic elements of film
• highly stylistic and conceptual, great experimental film.

Self Decadence - Erik, Max, Darien, Denis

• interesting variety of shots to portray the different sins (long, unedited shots for sloth and quick, jarring pace for wrath)
• great sound design to create a sad and spooky atmosphere
• anonymity of character was powerful and helped convey the conceptual elements of the film
• good exploration of the experimental genre and quite philosophical in the film's investigation of pride and sin

Audience's Response to My Film

• Sad, dejected tone and timbre
• A person who is trapped and lonely
• Symbols: gates of hell, materialistic obsession

Reflection 20/5/13 Brainstorming My Experimental Film

   After MADD week, we returned to our unit on experimental film. In today's class, we got into groups and started discussing potential ideas for our film and also our individual production roles. We decided our production roles by picking a paper slip with one of the four roles written on them. I was the director of this film; although this is not my first time taking on this role, I will relish this challenge by building on what I have learnt and experienced as a director and further improving myself and my work.
   As the director, I decided to lead the group discussion by first offering the three possible investigations into experimental film in which we can explore: what constitutes a film; a philosophical/political/aesthetic theme; the basic medium of a film. We decided to explore a philosophical theme through this experimental film, in which we agreed on humanity's tendency to sin. More specifically, I am going to focus on the infamous "Seven Deadly Sins", and how pride (excessive love of self) is the root of all the other sins. Ms Wong liked my idea, but encouraged me to draw our thought process out so that we had a visual blueprint to refer to.

   After having plotted our basic framework for our experimental film, Ms Wong advised us to start thinking about the technical and cinematic elements of this work. For example, the sound designer should think about how to represent "pride" through sounds; what does pride itself sound like? How can the editor suggest envy, for instance, by manipulating the pacing and the shot lengths? As a reflector in the IB learner profile, I learnt a lot about the making of an experimental film in this class by isolating each cinematic element, and ended up thinking about film in a completely different way.

30/4/13 Class Notes on Experimental Subgenres

Abstract Film

• Non representational forms (does not depict the physical appearance of things)
• Instead focuses on basic materials of the film medium
• Played greater attention to graphic form and rhythmic editing
• Often considered as "filmmaking painting with motion"

• non-narrative visual/sound experiences with no story and no acting. Rely on the unique qualities of motion, rhythm, light and composition inherent in the technical medium of cinema to create emotional experiences.

"The drama of vision, a vision that implies a belief that the first priority is to see and record, the second to structure and interpret." -David Curtis

   Stan Brakhage

Sought to liberate human perception from "goal seeking" in favour of "open, receptive seeing"'

Analyzing "Black Ice"

What I saw/Description

• Flash of radiant colours on a completely black background
• Illusion of movement
• Inconstant tempo, accelerating and dying down at times
• Colours mainly blue, red and white (ice?), appears like the splash of paint on a canvas

Interpretation/Associations

• Spirituality
• Stream of consciousness
• Death

Compilation Films

• Reuses pre-existing film footage in a new context to generate new idea
• Raises the question of what art is; Marcel Duchamp's response of any type and form of art as entirely subjective, and that art is what we decide for it to be.

Contemporary Avant Garde Films

 led by influential video artist Bill Viola whose artistic expression includes the use of electric, sound and image technology.

Reflection 24/4/13 Class Notes

The spectrum of major film making forms:
 Documentary (closest to realism) ---  Narrative (story telling in a fictional world) ---  Avant-Garde

Avant Garde Films

• a form of film making that uses only highly stylized image and sound to create a visual landscape that often has no clearly definable story
• POETIC FILM; VISUAL ABSTRACTION; EXPRESSIONISM

Common characteristics:

• Autobiographical elements
• Own language and symbology
• Value chance and spontaneity

Differences from mainstream commerical films:

• Rarely present straightforward stories/characters (deliberately making every viewer bring their own agendas to interpret the film's meaning)
• Aesthetic, political or even philosophical means of expression
• Often isolates and scrutinizes one technical aspect of filmography (e.g sound)

Specific Aspects:

• Manipulation of time (through time lapse photography and fast/slow/reverse motion)
• Negative and superimposition of images
• Non-synchronized sound
• Represents a sensual, emotional and aesthetic experience (to invoke emotions) instead of telling a story

Lithuanian filmmaker Jonas Mekas, considered as the "godfather of american Avant-garde cinema"

"These films confront us with the necessity of redefining an experience we were sure we understood". 

-Scott McDonald

Reflection 24/4/13 Screening Day Two

GEMINI - Alwin, Max, Denis:

• Interesting variety of shot choices (many close ups) to capture the brotherly emotions and conflict
• Often there was a lack of focus in shots 
• Experimented with techniques that we've learnt 
• Great sequences (pacing, blocking)

MARATHON - Robbie, Bryan, Henry:

• "conveyed the perseverance and determination embodied in the spirit of marathon"
• beautiful visuals (e.g dissolving images of marathon runner and sprinting leopard)
• great music choice and transition to enhance narrative
• more artistic detail and thought (such as the pace and flow of the running)

17/4/13 Screening our Soviet Montage films

FIVE DAYS LEFT -- Darien, Adrian, Erik:

• appropriate use of symbolism but repetitive at times (e.g the wilting rose)
• fitting soundtrack but more sound design would have enhanced the narrative 
• deliberate increase in pacing as the plot moved towards its climax (mirrored by faster cuts) 
• more thoughtful in mise-en-scène (background of newspaper could have been much more meaningful)

ENDGAME -- George, Travis, Lawrence, Jacob:

• interesting exploration of a variety of Soviet Montage styles: metric, rhythmic and tonal
• close up shots mirrored claustrophobic undertone
• some symbolizing shots were slightly irrelevant (e.g rocket)
• rich and interspersing soundtracks intensified the plot and built up to climax. Also reflected the psychologic effects of drugs

LIGURIRE -- Angela, Wilson, Angela:

• Creative use of symbolism (skeletons, fingerprints, butcher)
• Soundtrack was ominous and helped the direction and pacing of the plot
• Enjoyed the juxtaposition of butcher scene and cooking scene to suggest cannibalism

10/4/13 Filming Stage

   Our production group returned from Easter holiday fresh and full of ideas for our upcoming film shoot. Although we were unable to get any footage during the holiday (due to all of us being away for vacation), we were fully prepared for filming our soviet montage production owing to our detailled shot list. As soon as class started, we briefed Ms Wong on what we were going to film and set off collecting footage.
  Being a reflective film student today, I bore in mind George's advice on filming throughout this lesson. He had warned us to always, always film more than what you would deem necessary, since each shot in a montage lasts only a couple of seconds and thus it would do no harm to have extra clips of the same shot. I responded to this piece of feedback by making sure we always filmed multiple shots for the same scene (for example a crumbled piece of paper dropping on the floor). Not only did we do several takes, we also experimented with different camera angles and framing so that we would have a larger selection of clips when it came to editing our film.
   Whilst the editor was importing the footage onto the computer, I started brainstorming possible soundtracks that would enhance and represent my artistic vision for this film. The following song had a complex timbre and fitted our theme and plot quite snugly, and therefore I have chosen it as one of the possible songs for this film.

 

Reflection 21/3/13 Planning and Finalizing Soviet Montage

   After having solidified the plot for my soviet montage film, my film group (Alwin, Max and I) proceeded in pre-production. As the director for this film, I contemplated on possible actors for the role before contacting and negotiating with them. I also completed shot plans for the dates that we would be filming to increase our efficiency.

 As a communicator in the IB learner profile, I consulted Ms Wong for feedback and advice on our story. Our group had come up with exploring conflicted family dynamics through the juxtaposition of two brothers, one who succeeds academically and socially and the other who is a loner and does not do well at school; however, the plot twist comes at the end when it is revealed that the parents brutally beat the smart child before planting a kiss on the other child's forehead.
  Ms Wong said that she enjoyed the idea and the plot twist but demanded more clarity and conviction in the ending. Whereas I had aimed for an ambiguous ending for the audience's own interpretation, Ms Wong said that there are two types of ambiguity: one a deliberate decision made by the director to achieve a desired effect, and the other where the director lacks direction and employs ambiguity as a cover up. I thought that this piece of advice was very fair and discussed with my group members what we were trying to show through this film in order to come up with a strong ending.

5/3/13 Experimenting with the Kuleshov Effect

   After getting into groups of three, our team (Max, Alwin and I) discussed possible scenarios before setting out to film. We decided to have a constant shot of Alwin smiling, then juxtaposing this shot with the butt of a cleaner wiping the floor, a cute animal, and a seductive Russian teacher. We also decided to use a Soviet-esque font (Mona Lisa Solid Std) to portray "Efecto Kuleshov", and searched online for appropriate Russian music. I decided to choose "Valse Sentimentale" by Tchaikovsky as I felt that this enhanced the film's originality while rendering it more Soviet like.

   We also played with some of the video filters on Final Cut Pro before exporting our experiment. We used desaturate to render the film black and white, before adding a "Vignette" effect to create a 20th century, nostalgic timbre. After screening our Kuleshov experiments, Ms Wong gave us feedback on how montage editing is not only about the juxtaposition of images to create meaning; we must also remember to maintain elements of continuity (e.g eyeline match and pacing) and this is extremely important to a successful montage.

Einstein's Methods of Montage

   Einstein developed what he called the "methods of montage":

1. Metric
2. Rhythmic
3. Tonal
4. Over tonal
5. Intellectual

Metric

• Editing follows a specific number of frames regardless of what happens to the image
• Suitable for simple match-time montages, works best for basic relationships between images e.g chaos vs shooting
• Used to elicit the most basal and emotional of reactions in the audience.

Rhythmic

• Good for portraying opposing forces
• incorporates more content than metric but still fairly regimented

Tonal (see video on the right)

• Uses the emotional meaning of shots
• Elicits more complex reactions and emotions from the audience

Over-tonal

• Cumulates metric, rhythmic and tonal montage to create an abstract, symbolic effect.
• Establishment of tone
• Connection of ideas

Intellectual

• synthesizes shots to elicit an intellectual meaning
• not just using literal meaning of shots; introduces ideas into the edit
• conflicts juxtaposition of intellectual effects
• Imagery, symbolism, film metaphors (e.g making a direct link between cossacks vs peasants and butchers vs cows)

26/2/13 Montage Editing notes

"[Montage is] the nerve of cinema... to determine the nature of montage is to solve the specific problem of cinema" 
-Sergei Einstein

What is montage?
   Montage simply means cutting in French. It is a technique in film editing where a series of short shots are edited into a sequence to condense time, space and information. See the montage below of Rocky and Drago training for their upcoming battle.

   Through the juxtaposition of contrasting images, the filmmakers establish Rocky as a resourceful, hardworking underdog character who does not have the luxury of accessing high-tech facilities and a professional team.

Soviet Montage Theory

Kuleshov believed that the juxtaposition of different images has the power to lead the viewer to reach different conclusions about the action in a film. Check out his experiment below:

Does the man's reaction ever change?

Einstein's Montage Theory

   Sergei Einstein believed that editing could be used for more than just showing a scene. He felt that the "collision" of shots could be used to manipulate the emotions of the audience and create film metaphors. He went one step further from Kuleshov, arguing that "each sequential element is perceived not next to the other, but on top of the other".

   Einstein's montage theory resonates with the rise of surrealism in the early 20th century. It violates the continuity rules, namely the 180 degree rule. Transitions between shots are deliberately obvious, less fluid, and non-seamless. It is argued that montage is inherently dialectical so that new ideas emerge from the conflict. It takes the audience out of their comfort zone of seeing smooth continuity editing and makes them question the style and purpose of the filmmaker's decisions.

23/2/12 Evaluating My Film

   After screening my film "An Unreliable Narrator", I took down some notes for the constructive criticism that my peers and Ms Wong offered me.

• Thoughtful cinematography (there was a deliberate attempt) e.g low to high tilt
• Innovative transitions e.g jacuzzi to sea
• Impressive exploration of idea 

However, there was certain aspects of the film that were unsatisfactory.

• The voice in the protagonist's head was confusing (especially in the beginning)
• A lack of portals despite good range of locations
• Background song during chase scene did not match the pacing

   I have responded to the feedback above by devising methods in which I could improve my film both stylistically, aesthetically and thematically. In order to clarify the plot (concerning the omnipresent voice inside the protagonist's head), we could've tweaked the sound design by muffling the voiceover to enhance its realism. We could also have done something about its pacing, matching the protagonist's action more accurately to make it look more convincing.
   In addition, we could've been more creative in using portals. Although we explored quite a lot of different locations ranging from parks to seas, we were merely cutting and were not very imaginative in the transitions. For example, we could've covered the camera with the costume before revealing the camera again but this time in a different location. Last but not least, the song choice was also not very powerful as it did not match the reality vs imagination theme and also lacked the pace to match the chase scene. Overall, I think our group did a considerably well job, our film's strengths being the cinematography and exploration of plot/idea.


Youtube link for the film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ruw7G7Cu_5E&feature=share

22/2/13 Final Reflection

   Having completed the unit of Twilight Zone, I felt that I should reflect on the knowledge and terminology that I have learnt, my co-operative and collaborative skills with my team members and also my growth as a filmmaker. My role for this semester was director, as my clear and strong pitch for my idea had convinced my classmates to vote for my artistic vision: a story that explores the hazy distinction between reality and imagination/illusion. I also tied in the inevitability of fate and free will through the protagonist's search for identity and purpose.
   Through the creation of this film, I have further learned and understood the concept of continuity editing and its importance in a film. In addition, I have also gained understanding of how to achieve continuity editing, whether it be smooth cuts or the emphasis on constant props and costume. Ms Wong has also taught me that mise-en-scène can be very important in enhancing the narrative of the film if it is deliberately chosen (for example using kid's playgrounds to resonate the theme of clowns). On top of that, I learned how to utilize and manipulate screen space to render the transitions from one portal to the other as natural as possible to the viewers.
   Since I was the director for this film, I had to exercise my leadership and organizational skills during pre-production, shooting and post-production. For example, I had to contact possible actors (after having first considered how they would fit their respective roles) before negotiating film dates with the editors to achieve a balance between having enough time for pre-production and post-production. I also found myself constantly reminding my group members/actors to bring their costumes and props to ensure our shooting was as efficient as possible. I also had to make key decisions and resolve conflicts between and within group members/actors. For instance, when we got kicked out of a planned location by the building's manager, I decided to explore the building just a few blocks away where the alley way was just as dark and desolate. Nevertheless, we all gave advice and help to one another when we had difficulty (as communicators in the IB profile), and as a result our teamwork was excellent and all learned something from each other after this unit. Not only did the powerful and influential role of director hone my leadership skills, I also grew as a filmmaker as I went through the key procedures (such as planning and supervising) of directing a film that represented my artistic vision.

Dedicated actors who braved the freezing sea as one of our portals. We later bought them a delicious lunch to express our gratitude.

22/2/13 Feedback from Screening our Films

Max, Robert, Star, Wilson

• Interesting transition in intro
• Camera too shaky at times
• Portals very well done 
• Music contributed to intense atmosphere, matched pacing and narrative

Marisa

• Some editing was not very smooth, pacing was off
• Should have built up to the chase
• POV shots were innovative but sometimes excessive (duration too long)
• Locations were limited and school uniform undermined the narrative (costumes and mise-en-scène can play a very big part)

Alwin, Allissa, Charlotte, Bryan

• Music transition not smooth from one song to the next
• Nice framing, but have to keep subject in frame 
• Great twist at the end; powerful plot and narrative
• Deliberate use of colour scheme and mask
• Some cuts were quite choppy
• Stylistically incoherent: some locations did not match with theme/world of toys

Erik, Travis, Jacob, Henry

• Very twilight Zone styled: great homage to the Rod Serling intro
• Sometimes the sound was inaudible, covered by the wild sound but overall great sound design that contributed to the sombre and mysterious atmosphere
• Interesting idea but perhaps could have been reinforced by chase scene

Reflection 4/2/13

   Having already filmed the opening scenes and all of the portals over three shooting dates, our film group worked on editing and sound design in today's film class. Our editor had already transferred the footage onto Final Cut Pro, but we still had to select the best clips and trim them before inserting the sequences into the timeline in chronological order. In addition, I had to help the sound designer in matching the voice over narration with the protagonist's blocking since timing was crucial in exploring and expressing the themes and complex plot of this film.
   After the rough cut was completed, we showed Ms Wong our film to receive constructive feedback for improvement. She was impressed with the acting and the framing but she also wanted more precision in the sound design (the sound levels of voice over vs background music vs ambience) in addition to more location mismatch for smoother transitions and portals. We responded to this piece of feedback by working on the sound levels of the different video clips and also considering the different portals in which we could use in succession.

Reflection 29/1/13

   Having already filmed the opening scenes and half of our portals over the weekend, our film group started editing the captured footage and looking for possible background soundtracks to enhance the narrative. Although my role is the director, I was a communicator today in the IB learner profile by helping out and giving advice to my other group members (the editor and sound designer). For example, I listed song suggestions to the sound designer so that he could grasp the mood that I wanted the music to create and represent my artistic vision. We looked through the soundtrack of the sci-fi thriller Looper (2012) and decided to integrate the song "A Life in a Day" in the ending of our film to establish an ambiguous atmosphere.

      While my other group members were working on their respective roles, I also planned for our next shooting date by using the "Shot Plan", which included specific scenes, times, casting, equipment etc. Not only will this help prepare our next shoot, it will also increase our efficiency when we film thus saving a lot of time for both the film group and the two actors.

Reflection 17/1/13

   In today's film class we split into our groups and worked on planning, scheduling and casting. First, we decided on our production roles within the group. As an IB learner, I was a risk-taker and volunteered to be something I have never attempted before: being a director. Although I have had experience in both sound design and editing, I have never taken on the role of a director before. This is slightly intimidating due to the responsibility and power that I now have, but I am also extremely excited to present my vision and work with my cohorts in creating this film.

   While planning the schedule, we found out that there are many limitations which delayed our filming dates. Our sound designer and editor argued to film earlier so that they would have more time to edit the film (rough cut, final cut..) After negotiating our timetables we finally reached a decision that appeased both the cinematographer so that she had time to plan and the editors so that they had enough hours to edit the film and smoothen the transitions.

   We also had some difficulty in casting. Due to the unique nature of this film's plot, I was looking for an actor with a recognizable, distinct voice so that his role as a narrator could be established quickly and convincingly. However, there were not many candidates and those who agreed to the role were even fewer. Through the process of planning, I have gained a deeper appreciation and understanding of how the cinema works.