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Film Narrative 2: AA Meeting Short

Film/TV Series Influences:

House of Cards Season 1 - Doug Stamper’s AA speech scene

The first scene we are looking to use as influence for our short is Doug Stamper’s speech scene in House of Cards. The first thing I recognised about this scene is the colour grading, there are mostly cool tones, a lot of emphasis on the greens and blues. These colours I feel reflect the mood of the scene, sombre, real and cold. In our short we want to use colour grading in a similar way to reflect the narrative. Similarly the lighting in the scene achieves the same effect. The overhead luminescent white lights once again present a cold feeling to the scene, almost an uncomfortable spotlight effect on the subjects potentially portraying how uncomfortable they feel speaking about the subject of alcoholism. In our AA meeting we want to focus on the conversation between two characters, so the dialogue will be really important. This scene is a great example of a well written engaging dialogue, Doug stamper’s execution of his lines in a self-assured manner and his stable and confident body language makes it easy for a viewer to engage in what he is saying. Even though Peter Russo doesn’t speak once in this scene, he is still engaging with the conversation through is reactions within his facial expressions which make it easy to distinguish that there is a connection between these two characters.

Fight Club - Big Bob scene

The second scene we chose was the Big Bob scene in Fight Club. There is a resemblance in colour and lighting to the Doug Stamper scene in House Of Cards, staying along the lines of cool tones, which we continue to agree will be suitable for our short. However the main thing that I enjoy with this scene is the sound. The screeching of the chairs, the footsteps on creaky floorboards and the gentle sobs of other members in the background. This use of diegetic sound makes us not only focus on the uncomfortable nature of the environment but the discomfort between the exchange of the two characters.

Then Came You - Support group scene

The last scene is the support group scene in Then Came you. From 0:48 is the best examples of how we would like to frame our short. The medium close up of Calvin to the ground level shot of Skye pulling in the chair are all types of shots we would like to incorporate into our story. The creative use of framing and different camera angles creates interest to the scene even though it is very minimal and only focussed on two characters. Interest is also created through the mis en scene, the placement of the characters and props in the scene makes it believable that they are in a support group environment. We will need to use props and location to help make our story believable that it is shot in an AA meeting.

The Importance of Research in Documentary Filmmaking (RTR)

The importance of research:

It can help you work around what the ‘central’ or most important question of your work is. A film has to have a question or argument that can be backed up. Without a question/argument, the film can fall flat and become unimportant.

It can help you to choose a subject you are passionate about. Nobody wants a documentary made about something that has no meaning to you as a filmmaker. It will show through your work that you are not passionate about the subject and the film will not be engaging.

It can add a level of depth to your work.

How to approach researching a subject?

Investigate from all angles. Look from every argument to find what makes your argument the strongest and the one which needs to be told.

Understand that becoming an expert about the subject will help you grow as a filmmaker and learn so much more about the world.

Sources of research can include:

Books, articles, essays (google scholar, library, internet).

Films (cinema, library, websites).

Photographs (galleries, books, archives).

Art forms (museums, galleries, books).

Location visits (galleries, studios, houses).

Formal interviews (main character, family members, experts).

Researching through observation means to follow a place or person and observe the environment from an outward perspective, thus giving you insight into a routine or character.

Researching through immersion means to go to a place or environment in which you take part in a routine etc., thus helping you gain a better understanding and overall empathy towards the subject.

What to do with research?

Record and document.

Make notes on what is useful from viewings and copy down quotes, write summaries etc.

Print out any needed photography for research and make notes on why it is suitable and relevant.

Record and transcribe interviews.

Make notes about specific routines encountered through observation or immersion and add a personal reflection which can be added to documentary.

#rtrmodule

Waves (2019) (dir. Trey Edward Shults)

“You have so much love to share with the world and so much life yet to live.”

The film centres around a father’s attempt to control his children’s (Tyler and Emily) success throughout high school, pushing them to the limit. When his son injures himself during sports, the result causes an unforgettable accident to occur which rips the family apart.

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when watching ‘Waves’ but it never came short with the shock-factor. The film was split into two parts, one leading up to the “accident” and the aftermath faced by Emily. The first half of the film was fantastic and definitely out-done the second half. The shift in protagonist in the second part of the film was narratively a bit strange at first, probably due to my expectation that a story should have one particular protagonist the whole way through. The story did lack a tiny bit when focussing on Emily within the film but contrasting the chaotic-ness of the first half of the film and the reality of the aftermath of the situation helped ground this film in its thematic themes.

The film is clearly centred around the pressure these children feel to perform well for their father and how his actions catalysed the inability for his children to understand what a family means. In regards to the title, the film elopes the fleeting nature of emotions very well. They come and go much like waves and blend together to make a mix of bittersweet feelings throughout the film.

The technical aspects of this film were unmatched. The cinematography was constantly the winning aspect with great play at lighting set ups and composition. Many mirror scenes were used as moments of self-reflection is regards to emotions and lots of side on shots were used to replicate the differing sides to each story. I should also point out that the soundtrack was absolutely fantastic and really elevated ‘Waves’.

Sound Design Analysis (FN2)

Curve (dir. Tim Egan)

From the beginning, the juxtaposition of heavy crashing waves with the silence around the protagonist sleeping gives the audience an uneasy feeling that this contrast will collide eventually. The protagonists breathing when she wakes up is the main focus of most of this film which builds the tension as the audience follow her breathing, meaning when it alters or gets quicker, we panic more with her.

The lack of sound around this curve of land makes the film more uneasy, as it leaves the imagination to take over. The drowning noises coming from afar allude the audience to the idea of an unknown presence lurking from afar, pushing the tension higher as the protagonist has more to fight against.

I feel that overall the sound is very effective in this film. The director used silence to such a high advantage which helps elevate the overall tension and impact of the film.

Operator (dir. Caroline Bartleet)

From the start of the call between the operator and the woman in the fire, the tension begins. The muffled, distressed voice of the woman contrasts with the operator trying to stay calm and get details from her about the fire.

The fact the woman is never seen creates the question of whether or not she survives in the fire and invests us as an audience on an emotional journal to be invested in. We want the question of what will happen and sound is prominently how this is created.

This film successfully highlights how off-screen sound can be optimised to not only evoke emotion but to create high tension in film.

#fn2module

Film Narrative 2 (GROUP UPDATE BLOG POST)

Idea:

The idea takes place in an AA meeting between 2 characters: Cameron (early 20’s) and Fergus (50s-60s). Cameron, a wealthy, reckless man turns up to an AA meeting late and sits beside Fergus, a quiet ex-con. Cameron makes conversation to Fergus quietly while the AA meeting leader speaks in the background. Fergus generally keeps silent and gives him a heavy side-eye. The meeting finishes shortly after and as Cameron puts away his chair Fergus approaches him. He confronts him about how he knows Cameron gave him a fake number (as the two are sponsors who had to exchange numbers to stay in contact). Cameron takes his jokingly and Fergus interrogates him about why he isn’t taking the meeting seriously. By the end of a conversation its clear Cameron see’s Fergus as a parental figure and gains respect for him as a person. They go from basically strangers to having mutual respect and understanding of their characters.

We were possibly thinking of developing the idea to take place outside the AA meeting with Fergus smoking a cigarette in front of an “AA meeting this way” sign. Cameron walks out the meeting after him with a flask and Fergus confronts him with the same conflict as the previous idea.

Roles for the group:

Cayla Ferguson – Director

Kushal Dhingra – DoP

Alana Robertson – Sound production/Editing

Abbie George – Screenwriter

Sophie Brownlow – Producer/Script supervisor

Pre-vis:

We gathered inspiration from watching AA meetings in different movies to help establish the content we want to create while also the style we want to shoot in. The scene has a lot of different tones we could go for. As screenwriter my plan is to start the first draft of the script very quickly so we can decide where we eventually want to take the film tone-wise.

Here’s some links to some of inspiration we’ve looked at so far:

- https://youtu.be/OyO3Kmx-bEk

- https://youtu.be/7fm5BARTjiY

- https://youtu.be/7ooDX1NOzEM

Location:

For location, we originally planned for the Chapel but upon reflection of sound quality and how many groups seem to be using it, we decided to steer clear of it and go for a classroom in Craiglockhart instead. Since many AA meetings take place is community halls etc. we feel this would be a good fit for the vibe. If we decide to set the scene outside, we will need to scout out a location, which we plan to do next time we are on campus.

The group have had a few online and in-person meetings so far to which we all agree we are entirely happy with. Everyone has contributed well, and we all feel the dynamic works well and is one we are very comfortable with.

Pre-production:

We have also started to plan out our pre-production materials and who will be doing what: - The logline & synopsis (Abbie) - Moodboard(s) (Kushal) - marked up copy of the script (Alana, Cayla) - shot list (Kushal, Cayla) - story board / lighting plan (Sophie, Kushal)

#fn2module

Film Narrative 2

Exercise 1 -- Brainstorming ideas

All Film Narrative 2 posts are under #fn2module

Group:

Alana Robertson

Abbie George

Kushal Dhingra

Sophie Brownlow

Cayla Ferguson

Our group recently had a meeting online to discuss some ideas for our final project for the module. Using the Craiglockhart Campus as inspiration, we came up with two solid ideas for short films:

#fn2module

Representing the Real

Exercise 1 -- documentary notes

All Representing the Real posts will be tagged under #rtrmodule

‘Portrait of Ga’ (dir. Margaret Tait)

This was by far my favourite film within the viewings due to the originality in formatting compared to the traditional use of formatting seen in mainstream media. The documentary wasn’t told with a professional interview but rather took the form of abstract cinematography of the filmmaker’s mother in the Orkney Islands. The cinematography especially highlighted the importance of the subject matter to the filmmaker and how they view ‘Ga’ in a very loving and intimate sense. The film didn’t answer a question, but rather took the form of what I would consider to be a very insightful and heart-warming observation of two people’s family relationship.

If I was to do anything differently: I would try and add more on the cultural importance of the Orkney Islands and even speak to ‘Ga’ herself to get a better insight into the relationship.

'Pigeon Seduction’ (dir. Lisa Peterson and Nicky Spears)

For this documentary, I felt the delivery fell a bit flat due to the traditional formatting of filmmaking used. The subject matter is a bit confusing with not enough context given to what James does with the pigeons. Although this problem, the interview with James is laid-back and free going, making him very entertaining to listen to. A phone call exchange between him and his son helps to ground the film in the sense of personal aspects, and this creates a more enjoyable and sympathetic viewing nature. You can clearly see where James’ passion lies and how keeping the pigeons are not only important to him, but for the filmmakers who have a general interest in what he does and his passions.

If I was to do anything differently: I would give a lot more context as to what James’ does with the Pigeons and make the interviews a bit more coherent. Also, adding subtitles due to James’ thick accent may be a lot more beneficial for the viewers, especially if they aren’t familiar with the accent and dialect.

‘Same But Different’ (dir. Louise Leitch)

This documentary discusses the way a friendship changed over time between two friends as one transitioned into a woman. It had a clear focus and was a very professionally done film with the clear point of the loving nature between two friends being obvious. Finding out the relationship between Neil and the filmmaker (his wife) makes the standpoint of this documentary easier to understand by doesn’t exactly sit right with me as the focus is directly on Neil’s side of the story.

If I was to do anything differently: I would have made this documentary a bit longer. For such an important story, I don’t feel like all of it was necessarily told or focussed on the right aspects of the story. The documentary heavily relied on Neil’s feelings rather than his friend’s transition and her story.

'Lester’ (dir. Luke Fowler)

This film differed from a lot of the others shown in the sense that it never had a purpose to answer a question, but rather be an examination of character. We understand the filmmaker on a deeper level and who they are as a person due to their belongings. We understand parts of their personality not able to be seen within many other documentaries. The artistic approach to this film with flashing abstract images of Lester’s apartment gives the documentary an amateur feeling which gives us a better sense as to who the filmmaker is.

If I was to do anything differently: I would try to add more context to the film to make it a much more tangible watch and overall, more enjoyable.

#rtrmodule

I love you Abbie :)

- for context this was hayley

Scene Recreation

For the scene recreation, my group (H) decided to go with an argument scene out of Midsommar in which characters Dani (Florence Pugh) and Christian (Jack Reynor) are arguing about Christians sudden decision to go on a trip to Sweden without informing or inviting Dani.

This is the original scene:

https://youtu.be/b7s7nuyh984

This is the scene recreation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYK_ocVEvPw

Choosing the scene:

As a group, we collectively decided to have a movie night and review some ideas of movies we could recreate. Midsommar ended up being a top contender, with us eventually settling on this scene. We specifically liked how the reflection of the mirror with Christian played into the scene and showed the separation of the characters.

Upon reflection (and through a stressful pre-production and production process) we released how difficult the scene would be to recreate. Since there was a mirror in the frame and due to the space we had access to shoot in, it was hard to be able to have crew members on set. Paired with the fact that the room we ended up using (a disabled room in Bainfield) was much smaller than the room in the scene and that the scene was in fact one take with a pan to left, we came to realise that all elements paired together made our job very difficult. Working with the smaller space meant we had to sacrifice the frame which the pan stopped on as we had no room to move away from the actors.

My contribution:

My role within the scene recreation was the production designer. With the scene being set in a very lived in apartment, it was pretty difficult to recreate. There was quite a few things I needed to sacrifice, such as book shelves which we were unable to get due to the bedroom location not having the same layout as the scene. Knowing that I wasn't going to be able to get the set design exact, I tried to get items general items to fit the correct setting. A lot of items which were in frame also were not ones I owned nor anyone I knew did meaning they became a bit of a problem to get without spending money.

To an entire fault of my own, there were numerous items in shot that I didn't pay enough attention to move when filming, such as smoking signs etc. which since being on every bedroom distracted me from realising they were not meant to be there.

Reflection:

Although I feel I did a relatively decent job as production designer, for future projects I will definitely be learning to paying more attention to my surroundings and minor details which make or break the scene.

I think as a while group we did a good job with communication and organisation. The end project isn't the most accurate but I feel we collectively captured the essence of the scene, mostly in the opening shot.

Mommy (2015), dir. Xavier Dolan

Exercise 3 — Pre-Production

https://youtu.be/b7s7nuyh984

Scene chosen: Midsommar argument scene (0:00–1:40).

Roles

Director: Alice Campbell

Producer: Robbie Anderson

DoP: Owen Neil

Production Design: Abbie George

Editor & Sound: Euan Adams

Visual Breakdown

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UOAGhsWOhMN8RCV-_6-yS7JIzQAIewlOOpZ6-WhOOT8/edit

Shot list

https://docs.google.com/file/d/1vSahewT6Vc-vyDbH5vVBKkfRTsJftc08/edit?usp=docslist_api&filetype=msword

Props list

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ckFpOQ9fqtXIEqD_-1T6RgtGnNEf3Xz14pqKnPE_gD0/edit?usp=sharing

Further scene breakdown

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1eorPRGYbpEvPPWrYNhIpV8ELx8VOo4So1yG3b9Zatng/edit?usp=sharing

Call sheet

https://docs.google.com/file/d/1YgVCiRXTmsGN0atft9YJROgl1KOik4zb/edit?usp=docslist_api&filetype=msword

My contribution

For this project, I will be taking on the main role of production designer. I haven’t had much previous experience in that area, but am interested in looking further into it. The scene taking place in an apartment means we need to find a good location which can be made to feel very lived in. The scene does have many set props which may be difficult to find exactly.

With the pre-production stages I helped to create the general set and props list, along with the shot list. Obviously with the scene being one continuous shot, the shot list is very simplistic, but the small movements within the frame, especially the large pan left later within the scene, are very important in making this a lot more dynamic.

My group has had many meetings to help decide roles by taking into consideration everybodies main interests. We decided to even have some film screenings of some possible movies we would be interested in doing, eventually settling with an argument scene between characters Christian and Dani in Midsommar. The scene works very well with visual interest as Christian initially appears in the mirror while Dani stands across from him in front of the camera. Dani moves closer to the camera but we manage to feel like the couple are drifting further and further away from each other. The camera movements (especially the pan left) is also very visually interesting and makes for a much more dynamic scene.

EXERCISE 2

Within the exercise, I took on the main role as DoP/Camera, meaning I took on main responsibility when it came to considering lens choices and framing. I feel relatively happy with the final shots although I do think I know much better for my next time working camera that I can figure out spacing much better within the frame and control my movements.

https://vimeo.com/640356841

The camera being handheld within the scene brings a sort of panic and urgency to the audience, which replicates much of how both characters are possibly feeling. The game within the scene builds anticipation and this is then carried through with the shakiness of the camera as it visually intensifies the moment.

https://vimeo.com/640355333

The use of the tripod within this scene is ideal for motivated camera movements. Each movement can be made intentionally to reveal different information such as the changing power dynamics within the game of poker. The smoothness of the movements are also generally more pleasing to the eye than the handheld footage.

#Vimeo

Floor plan

Framing Exercise

ROT Wide Shot

ROT Medium Shot

ROT Close up Shot

Center Wide Shot

Center Medium Shot

Center Close up Shot

The rule of thirds framing helps to direct the viewers eye to the places of interest within the frame and embraces the blank space, while the center framing helps bring balance and visual symmetry which can be very appealing. Personally, I prefer the use of Rule of Thirds within my shots as they make the framing more visually interesting to look at.

Cinematography reading (p. 30-40)

The simplest way to shoot a scene is by doing it “in-one”, simply meaning the entire scene is one continuous shot. Sometimes this can cause complications if the scene is longer and can slow the pacing.

Modern films are normally shot in “documentary style”, the camera being handheld, lose, and the actors movements being influenced more by improv. This is known as “Freeform Method”. This is when scenes are shot repeatedly with the camera operator usually doing their best to catch all dialogue. The several takes are normally broken down into the following:

“The Dialog Pass”, when the camera person does their best to stay with any actors which are speaking.

“The Reaction Pass”, where the camera person normally pans back and forth to stay with the person who is not speaking.

“The Freeform Pass”, which follows the dialogue sometimes but focuses on capturing improv mainly.

Montages are used in dramatic narrative film and are a series of shots which progress the story forward relating to a specific theme. They advance the story not with linear continuity, but with a series of related shots.

“Breaking the forth wall” is when the audience is made aware that they are watching a movie by the characters directly addressing the audience, e.g. used widely in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

A frames purpose is to share important information to the audience through the screen. This is done by organising the composition to tell the audience where to look, what to look at, and what order to look at it. The important of image is to convey meaning, mood, tone, atmosphere, and subtext on its own -- without regard to voiceover, dialogue, audio, or other explanation.

Good composition reinforces the way in which brains organises information, composition selects and emphasises elements such as size, shape, order, dominance, hierarchy, pattern, resonance, and discordance.

Design principles are an important aspect of cinematography as they work interactively in various combinations to add depth, movement, and visual force to the elements of the frame.

Unity - A frame of a films should be “whole” and entirely complete and shouldn’t feel as if it’s missing out parts of a subject. To use composition, a frame can be cut down using borders to limit what the audience can see.

Balance - This determines the size of the subject in relation to where it sits within frame. Center balance may not be needed as an unbalance may be intentional to the story.

Visual tension - The subject needs to stick out within the frame and be the most prominent part, this uses balance to bring the audiences eye to a specific part of the frame.

Rhythm - This is where repetition is used in a subject or pattern to create a feeling of order or organisation within a frame.

Proportion - This is used to tell the audience something important by enhancing the scale of the subject by making them seem realistic sized or disproportionately large or small.

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