Firstly, our editing was a lot better on this piece in terms of slickness and continuity. We had good establishing shots and the story made sense to the audience. The use of cross cutting between different parts of the location was a success and enabled the narrative to be driven forward at a faster pace, hence creating more tension and possibly excitement. Additionally, the use of the flashback mechanism appeared to work and served as a hook for the audience to latch onto.
As well as that, our choice of location worked fairly well and suited the tone of the piece. It had a dark and murky atmosphere and served to supply additional characterisation to the muted performers. The location had a slightly claustrophobic feel and as a result it was easier to cross between the two characters whilst editing. Also, it fitted in with many noir traditions as many of those kinds of films have had scenes set in dark alleyways which had a slightly similar look to our chosen location.
Given that we had an already gloomy location the lighting was not a major issue as the natural light itself in that area gave off a rather doom laden aesthetic. The lack of artificial light gave the piece a more realistic impression which meant that the characters incorporated into it didn’t seem out of place or surreal. If there was one mistake with the light it was that in post production we changed the colour of the film to black and white as a nod to classic film noir traditions. However, our main coursework brief stated that we should be aiming our film opening at a mostly teenage audience and it is unlikely that a substantial number of teenagers would sit down to watch a black and white film. I would suggest that for our main piece we simply shoot it in a lowly lit style to keep in with traditions but to not change the overall colour to black and white.
Our basic rules, which included the rule of thirds and the 180 degrees line, were adhered to which gave the film a more professional look which is a marked improvement on the preliminary exercise. Also, as we had more time in length of the film and on location we were able to spend more time on establishing shots. One of the weaknesses of our fist piece was that we missed off some of the handles which meant that the film had a rather disjointed feel. On this film there was better pacing and we also added in a few Dutch tilt camera shots to enhance the noir feel of the piece. These went down well with the audience. I believe that the Dutch tilt shots and their solid incorporation into the piece showed a step up in technical skill.
There was however a few weaknesses in the film we produced. The main ones seemed to emanate from the sound area of production. Whilst our choice of music was met with approval and seemed to fit in well with the tone of the film, some criticisms were voiced about its introduction. Looking back at the film we noticed that the music comes in at high volume almost immediately and doesn’t have a chance to build in momentum. If we did it again I think we would probably start the music at a quieter volume during the titles and slowly drive up its intensity as the main action starts to kick in. this would hopefully add to the intensity and maybe even drama of the story and give added life to the characters.
Continuing on sound, another objection which was raised was that at times during the film the sound of the music clashed with background noise, most notably the cars on the road beside the alleyway. There were occasions when there was simply too much noise and it sounded disjointed and heavy handed. In some respects it drew attention away from the characters on screen and is a problem that can be solved by more vigilant sound recording on site or possibly during post production. Whilst editing it may be possible to mix together the volume of music so that it is quieter when there is more background noise. The background noise could then be used to add realism to the film and create a more down to earth feel.
Finally, when doing our final project I think it would be best to keep the main titles as low key and non descript as possible. This is because on the exchange the bold font types seemed out of place with the tone of the film and simply didn’t sit well. It may be a case of just keeping it simple and letting the main action on screen do the talking as it were.
Wednesday 17 December 2008
Exchange Exercise Brief
We are to shoot and edit a short sequence in the style of a film thriller involving THE EXCHANGE of an important item (envelope, tape, microfilm) from one character to another. This sequence must contain no more than 12 shots. We can film in any location of our choosing on the college campus or in the near vicinity. We just use the camera top microphone to record the sound as no dialogue is to be used. The footage will then be edited and we will need to choose some approiate music and titles in addition to complete the short sequence.
Classic Noir Images
This image is one of the most iconic in the history of film noir. It's use of low key lighting, silhouetted figures against a backdrop of ominous mist and placing the characters at different depths in the shot has influenced film makers for the past 50 years.
This classic fim noir image is taken from the film Detour.
This shot is focused specifically on one character and allows the audience to read their emotions more clearly. As a result the audience can use this shot to connect with this character far more than the slightly detached silhouetted stars in the other picture. This demonstrates a more personal and intimate style of film making but while still upholding noir traditions of low key lighting and extensive use of shadows.
Styles, Codes and Conventions
Typical noirs are often crime based in their narratives and usually include some sort of law enforcement character investigating a mystery and pursuing a villainous character. Some examples include The Maltese Falcon, The Killers and The Stranger. An atypical moral message is that crime doesn’t pay.
Typical characters that crop up in noir films are a hardboiled detective and a glamorous woman in need of assistance. Prime examples of film noirs with these characters are Out of the Past and Kiss Me Deadly.
Characters are often ‘alienated’ from the wider public and tend to be loners such as Robert Montgomery in The Chase. The actors usually portray these sorts of characters in a calm subtle manner. Locations are often in the middle of large cities such as White Heat. As far as lighting goes most noirs are filmed in a black and white style or close to it but there are exceptions such as Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo which is shot in colour.
A lot of film noirs contain voiceovers by the main protagonist such as more recent noirs like Chinatown and Bladerunner.
Most noirs are filmed in low key style like Out of the Past and Kiss Me Deadly, but others are shot in a more complex way such as Lady in the Lake where the protagonist is shown only in mirrors.
In classic noir some flashbacks were used but special effects have become more common with more recent noirs like Twelve Monkeys and Minority Report. Whilst special effects are used extensively for comedic purposes in the parody Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Typical characters that crop up in noir films are a hardboiled detective and a glamorous woman in need of assistance. Prime examples of film noirs with these characters are Out of the Past and Kiss Me Deadly.
Characters are often ‘alienated’ from the wider public and tend to be loners such as Robert Montgomery in The Chase. The actors usually portray these sorts of characters in a calm subtle manner. Locations are often in the middle of large cities such as White Heat. As far as lighting goes most noirs are filmed in a black and white style or close to it but there are exceptions such as Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo which is shot in colour.
A lot of film noirs contain voiceovers by the main protagonist such as more recent noirs like Chinatown and Bladerunner.
Most noirs are filmed in low key style like Out of the Past and Kiss Me Deadly, but others are shot in a more complex way such as Lady in the Lake where the protagonist is shown only in mirrors.
In classic noir some flashbacks were used but special effects have become more common with more recent noirs like Twelve Monkeys and Minority Report. Whilst special effects are used extensively for comedic purposes in the parody Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Preliminary Exercise Review
The first and most obvious mistake that I made was that we did not collect enough shots to take into the editing room and as a result there was a severe lack of coverage which hindered the look of the short film which we produced. We realised on post production that we had not shot an establishing shot of the subject walking down the corridor which meant that we had to skip straight to the opening of the door. This meant that the beginning of the film looked jumpy and awkward and simply didn't sit well. In theory this mistake can be, and should be, easily corrected by simply keeping better track of the shots we have, or have not, filmed. We should lay out a firm and well thought out plan of in what order we will film each shot and stick to it as closely as possible. It should be a high priority that we regularly check the plan as not getting enough coverage in our main coursework could be a severe hindrance. It should be fairly straightforward to correct this fault by the time we come to finalising our main piece of coursework. Future projects should give us a guide on how we are progressing.
Secondly, we should be more vigilant about framing issues. In this exercise there were several shots where the rule of thirds was corrupted and as a result there were several shots where our subject appeared at an awkward angle. More specifically there was a lot of dead space and unnecessary background which produced an awkward aesthetic to the piece. This mistake can be corrected by simply taking more time and precision on lining up each shot. Now that we have learned more about the rules we should be able to know for ourselves whether a shot is properly set up, which in theory means that careful checks of the camera screen should enable us to prevent any shots not adhering to framing guidelines. The next project will be an ideal opportunity to see if we have made progress on this front.
Also, during the editing process it was revealed that some of the shots, most notably the pan shots, came out slightly wobbly. This is because when we did the panning shots we did not do a good enough job of keeping the movement of the camera smooth and relatively seamless. As a result the shots looked jumpy and detracted the eye of the audience away from the main action which was not beneficial. In order to correct this it will be necessary to further practice the technique required for panning shots and if impossible collect several takes of panning shots on the next task so that there is more coverage when editing. This will enable us to have a higher chance of producing a quality panning shot which can used in the final piece. Additionally, more preparation will be required in setting up the action in order to prevent the cameraman from being confused or not a hundred per cent sure on the starting and finishing points.
Finally, this task has reiterated the point that perhaps on occasions keeping it simple is the best option. We found on this task that in some respects we tried to over complicate things and because of this some of the more basic aspects such as framing and coverage were overlooked causing the piece to look more amateurish than would be desired. This would also apply to the use of dialogue. In our final piece it may be best, given the limited acting resources, to keep the dialogue simple but not dull, meaning that a suitable compromise will need to be found.
Secondly, we should be more vigilant about framing issues. In this exercise there were several shots where the rule of thirds was corrupted and as a result there were several shots where our subject appeared at an awkward angle. More specifically there was a lot of dead space and unnecessary background which produced an awkward aesthetic to the piece. This mistake can be corrected by simply taking more time and precision on lining up each shot. Now that we have learned more about the rules we should be able to know for ourselves whether a shot is properly set up, which in theory means that careful checks of the camera screen should enable us to prevent any shots not adhering to framing guidelines. The next project will be an ideal opportunity to see if we have made progress on this front.
Also, during the editing process it was revealed that some of the shots, most notably the pan shots, came out slightly wobbly. This is because when we did the panning shots we did not do a good enough job of keeping the movement of the camera smooth and relatively seamless. As a result the shots looked jumpy and detracted the eye of the audience away from the main action which was not beneficial. In order to correct this it will be necessary to further practice the technique required for panning shots and if impossible collect several takes of panning shots on the next task so that there is more coverage when editing. This will enable us to have a higher chance of producing a quality panning shot which can used in the final piece. Additionally, more preparation will be required in setting up the action in order to prevent the cameraman from being confused or not a hundred per cent sure on the starting and finishing points.
Finally, this task has reiterated the point that perhaps on occasions keeping it simple is the best option. We found on this task that in some respects we tried to over complicate things and because of this some of the more basic aspects such as framing and coverage were overlooked causing the piece to look more amateurish than would be desired. This would also apply to the use of dialogue. In our final piece it may be best, given the limited acting resources, to keep the dialogue simple but not dull, meaning that a suitable compromise will need to be found.
Tuesday 16 December 2008
Preliminary Exercise Brief
You are to complete a continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom he/she then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. The task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree line rule.
Tuesday 18 November 2008
Short history
The term 'film noir' originates from 1946 and was coined by french film critics. My initial research has shown that historically noir films revolve around dark storylines often involving dark and mysterious characters. They feature low key lighting visuals and a non linear narrative. Traditonally they have been made on low budgets and have their origins in wartime American filmmaking.
Brief
We have been given a brief to produce an opening to a 'contempory film noir' approximately three minutes in length. We should update the noir genre but maintain noir traditions such as traditions, mood, narrative and conventions. These should be updated to accommodate a modern audience. We have also been asked to evaluate what sort of institution our film would be most suited to and how it would be distributed for full effect.
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