it was beauty killed the beast

A compilation of reflective and technical posts for the BA (Hons) in Creative Media Production at Mcast Malta, describing the progress being attained within modules of the course, and highlighting any inspirational and thought-provoking works forming part...

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Week 5 - 7/10/16

I am going to be writing a lot of posts about films, I foresee, which makes sense considering I am a film student. This week I watched The Fifth Element. It is about a man, Korben Dallas, who is a taxi driver in the sky, and is unexpectedly thrown into a whirlwind operation entailing a young woman, Leeloo, who is considered to be the saviour of mankind and some form of superhuman. 

I love science fiction films, and had never actually seen this before, for some reason, and it utterly blew me away. Everything from the costumer to the cinematography to the storytelling was superb. 

This film is so ethereal, and made in a manner that doesn’t seem to be adopted any longer. One thing I dislike about many films in the past decade or so is that nothing feels ‘real’ any more’. In the 90s and prior, everything felt solid. I love great CGI, but some things are just better off made properly. Yes, it may cost more, Yes, perhaps it is more arduous a choice, nonetheless it results in something like The Fifth Element (I could also go into Lord of the Rings vs. The Hobbit here, but I shall not digress). 

The actors did a wonderful job of portraying their characters, and one is really able to see how this paid off in the long run and pulls the viewer right in with them. 

The cinematography is also something to wonder at. The world is viewed as vast, chaotic yet structured, colourful yet bleak at times, immense yet constricted. Every shot seems like a painting in this film. 

Needless to say, the costumes are something to be wondered at. Jean Paul Gaultier took time off in order to create all of them with the utmost time and patience and care and concentration, and it shows. They are masterpieces, every one. And every one speaks volumes of its character. 

This film spoke to me and inspired me. I am currently wracking my brains in order to come up with a script idea for one module, and watching films like this offers a unique opportunity to delve straight into my imagination and realise that I may truly go to any place I wish to with my ideas.

I get inspired by many films for many varying reasons, and I have a select few favourites which I shall most certainly watch again and again, this being one of them. It is a superb step into the true wonders of a filmmaker’s imagination. Considering Besson was mulling it over from the age of 16, only to make it more than two decades later, it just goes to show what time and thought can create of an idea. 

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Week 4 - 31/10/16

As a class, we have come to the point of getting very much into our work for both editing and documentary film-making classes. I am finding advanced editing work to be helping a lot in my work, even outside of school. It is vital, I believe, to become utterly in tune with oneself as an editor. I think everyone edits differently because it is so very much based on how one feels, as opposed to a formula that one may just learn. 

This Summer I came across a video by one of my favourite YouTube channels for film-making, ‘every frame a painting’, and it was a video about How an Editor Thinks and Feels. We watched it in class this week and I learn a bit more from it every time. 

This channel is utterly superb, and has provided me with great insight into the world of film-making. One cannot learn everything from a book or a video, but it is great to get perspectives of other film-makers through video essays. 

I have spent a lot of time reflecting upon my documentary and script ideas for school. What I like most about taking this course is that it gives me the push I generally need to make something of my ideas. I wish to take these assignments to truly make some great things, to the best of my ability. 

Aside from this, I watched a film this week that is likely to be one of my favourites of all time. It struck me as one of the most beautiful and eloquent films I have seen. La Grande Bellezza. I fell so deeply in love with it, and it gave me a number of ideas for my own work. I absolutely adored the story, writing, characters, aesthetics. I was blown away. 

If I am ever able to write something of this sort, I would very likely be able to die happy. It was remarkable and so well executed. It had humour and melancholia and drama and excitement. A very near perfect film, to my tastes. And certainly the thing that inspired me most this week. 

Characters who are writers and slightly tipped over the edge have always interested me, and I found Jep (the protagonist), one of the most likeable and eloquent characters I have seen in a while. I hope to write a character like his some day. 

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Week 3 - 28/10/16

This week started off with another great learning experience. I was hired to aid film a Maltese band, Etnika, with the same people who I filmed with last week. It was for their live show so there was a lot of pressure to get it right the first time. no room for trial and error so it required a lot of focus and constant shift in shot and capturing. 

I used a Canon 5D Mark III, which aided me to get used to another camera which I have been interested in for a while. It was great and the shots came out very well, the head cameraman told me he was very pleased with what I’d captured and the client has proven to be very glad indeed. Furthermore, their music inspired me a lot and I do hope to get to use them for a future film. Maltese folk songs turned modern with a twist, such as the use of typewriters and pastizzi trays as instruments. 

For editing class, we were required to write about 3 short films of our choice, and analyse them in terms of storytelling techniques and imagery. I watch tonnes of films, yet I do not watch enough shorts. I believe they’re so helpful, and they are what I wish to create at first, so this got me into a rhythm of watching some absolutely great shorts that I may have not watched and been inspired by normally. The films were Red Rover, Numbers and Cracker Bag, easily found online. They are superb watches, and it was a hard choice between all the great ones I watched. 

One in particular, which I did not choose but came across after, inspired and besotted me to a great extent. its writing is superb and the visuals are great. 

 I would love to make something like this some day. The twist, the acting. I adore everything about it. These shorts are really encouraging me to work on a script and start to proceed with making one of my own. I am likely not to have this level of production value, but great things can be done with little money. 

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Week 2 - 23/10/16

This week was a fairly productive week for me. Aside from going through all sorts of advancements within the classroom, naturally as we are getting into the thick of things at this point, I got the opportunity to meet some great people and work with them. 

This Friday I worked on a documentary covering the oncology unit’s therapist at the hospital. The director, Tim, hired me as a second camera person and aid to film interviews and b-roll shots of the unit and the various therapy rooms over there. It was an intensely inspiring learning curve, as both the director and other cameraman were very well-learned in film and have travelled all over the world creating documentaries. Furthermore, I got the first true experience of documentary film-making and learned the ropes fairly well (for my first experience). 

The shots turned out great and the people being interviewed were some of the most inspiring women I have ever met. They spend their days with cancer patients and work so hard to create a therapeutic environment for them, it made me love documentary making even more. 

I loved working with such a great team, and it ended with my discussing various future plans with them, regarding more filming work. I get to use more and more cameras and technology every time, and I think it’s starting to help me a lot, particularly with regards to sound (which I believe is my weakest point when it comes to filming, and which I would very much like to work on). 

Aside from all of this, which was primarily one day, I have been writing more and more ideas down in a book, in order to start working on a script or two. I have a fair few ideas, most of which are utterly undeveloped, however I shall elaborate on them once they are better formed. I am quite confident in around 3 of them, but they still need a lot of work. 

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Week 1 - 14/10/16

This series of blogposts shall be a reflection of the work and creative process journeyed through by myself throughout this year. This week, the first in relation to the blogs, we are still merely in our second week of second year, however we have already begun to delve deep into our subjects. 

We have begun to learn more and more about editing and concentrating on learning the intricacies and varying aspects of the art. Our first task is to create a trailer for a film of our choice. I chose Eyes Wide Shut by Kubrick as, contrary to many opinions, I actually found it quite interesting as a film. I feel this is a great task to form part of as it is far more difficult to create a trailer than one may initially think. There is a story within a trailer, and it is not merely a series of random shots. 

On the other hand we have Documentary Filmmaking, which is wonderful. I have never delved into this area of film before, and it is very interesting to see just how much planning and thought and care goes into creating something like this. Considering it is dealing with real life situations and people, there are many questions to be posed. Those of ethics, sensitivity, and ultimately the creation of a compelling story. It’s all about a balance of audience and subject. 

Screenwriting is providing us with a great tool for any short or feature length films we shall wish to make in the future. Naturally, no film can live without a script, and I believe it shall be quite fruitful. 

Other than that we have just begun to use critical thinking and critical thinking and research methods. I believe these are going to take a bit longer to get into fully, as it only seems to be taking shape for now. 

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Instagram Story - Week 3

I chose this for the stories it tells of the area, and of those who may have built that which is within.

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Star wars: A New Hope - Hero`s Journey

As with many a story, Star Wars: A New Hope presents us with a hero`s journey, that of Luke Skywalker. 

Ordinary World

We see Luke as a farmer on Tatooine with his aunt and uncle, living a fairly ordinary life. 

Call to Adventure

Meeting R2-D2 and being given/ witnessing a cry for help from Leia, and going to see Obi Wan. 

Refusal of the call

Luke does not really wish to follow R2-D2 or get involved with anything as he says he has work to do on the farm and cannot get involved. 

Meeting of the Mentor

Somewhat blended with the above, Luke meets Obi Wan, who informs him of his father being a Jedi, and tells him that he should join the rebellion to act against the dark forces to come, while Luke still says no. 

Crossing the Threshold

After finding his family killed and finally accepting to go with Obi Wan and be like his father, he leaves Tatooine, crossing the threshold to the new world. 

Test, Allies, Enemies

Luke is tested in many ways, like the stormtroopers that ambush them on their way out of Tatooine, and the tests of loyalty given to him by Han Solo. However, he gains allies in Han Solo and Chewbacca, who aid him immensely. 

Approach to Innermost Cave

Luke approaches Alderaan as Obi Wan teaches him to work with a lightsaber and the abilities of the Force. However, they do not find Alderaan there, but the Death Star having destroyed and replaced it. 

Ordeal 

The Ordeal for Luke is to save Leia and making it in and out alive and battling through to ensure her safety. 

Reward 

Luke is rewarded through joining the rebellions as a pilot and gaining recognition for having won his battle. 

Road Back 

The road back entails a road, not to hsi previously known ordinary life, but to his newfound ordinary life in the rebellion and working towards a common goal. 

Resurrection

Luke undergoes a change when aiding to destroy the death star, and is thus closer to becoming a Jedi. His transformation and rebirth entail him realising and entering his strength. 

Return with the Elixir

Luke holds the new hope for the rebels, which portrays itself as the elixir for him and his allies. 

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My Personality Type

When we got to take the personality test at school I was catagorised as The Debater (ENTP). This came as both surprising and unsurprising to me. It is not a surprise that I do enjoy a good argument, and are relentless in my quest for a good debate. I would argue even without a need for arguing, and play the devil’s advocate, purely for interest, sport and to gain new insight into a person or situation. I like thought, deconstruction, discussion and broadened mind horizons, therefore that which was listed felt very close to home and scarily accurate. 

I always thought I was a more emotional person than this test seems to suggest, although I believe I have grown into someone who battles a constant emotional and logical reaction (I veer more to the emotional at times). Nonetheless, I could not deny most of these points. 

For instance, the following: 

I believe this to be true to a great extent, although certain aspects may not be that extreme. I also noticed a tendency for me to write and create characters with these personality traits, perhaps trying to do this all along and see what sort of person I am. It is interesting to find yourself laid bare as 8 pages of characteristic traits that others share all around the world, although it may come as a shock it is humbling in a sense. 

I look forward to using these personality bases for characters in the future, aiding me to make fully fleshed characters a lot better, and allowing me to build on what I find. 

One of the most delightful aspects of my fitting into this personality type is that my personality twin is one of my favourite characters in any story in history - Tyrion Lannister. 

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Alice’s Rooms

Within my finalised story, I am writing about a protagonist who has always been very erratic in behaviour, and ends up in a mental home. When she was younger, she was allowed freedom in her expression, by her now deceased parents, and therefore had this room:

On the contrary, when Alice grew up, she got married and became oppressed by her husband, who kept her in a very plain area and never allowed her to express herself, believing it to be ‘child’s play’.

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Room building for characters

Recently, in class, we have been discussing all that may encompass a character within their room, or a room they call their own. Each colour, piece of furniture, wallpaper texture and shape may say something about our characters.

For instance, this room: 

Would tell us something very different to this one:

There is a world to say purely with the area which our character/s reside. It is vital to place a great deal of importance into every aspect chosen. From colours to the smallest prop. 

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Character Archetypes

Within stories, characters generally put on archetypical masks, yet they are almost never fixed, nor should they be. These archetypes fall under the below headings. 

These are basic character archetypes as written by Christopher Vogler, the writer of The Writer’s Journey, and the one who provides us with the hero’s journey, as spoken of before. 

Now, these archetypes may be applied to almost any film, or story for that matter. For instance, let’s take Alice in Wonderland (cartoon, 1951):

Hero

Mentor

Threshold Guardian

Herald

Shapeshifter

Shadow

Trickster

Allies  

Alice has many allies throughout the story, and all of the above characters play varying archetypical characters at some point or other, and therefore are merely examples of what they were at a moment in the story, some more than others. 

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Questions

When analysing a film for its character development and progression, one must ask themselves a few questions, in order to deduce all the facts and find out what characters they are dealing with, and who plays who. I shall be visually representing the questions using The Good Dinosaur.

1. Whose story is it?

‘The protagonist is somebody who wants something very badly and is having trouble getting it.’ Frank Daniels. Who is the story about? Who does it follow?

2. What is his her life dream? 

What the protagonist wishes to have in life, the ultimate goal that they wish for. 

3. What does he/she want? 

The conscious pursuit of the protagonist, what they are chasing. 

Specific Measurable Achievable  Relevant Timebound

This is their goal, what they are actively chasing within the story. Their actions are normally put to the test in terms of their strengths and weaknesses. 

Hope vs. Fear

4. What is his need? 

WANT VS. NEED

For instance, stance, Arlo in The Good Dinosaur wants to be brave like his father, and he also needs this, to be brave for himself and realise his strength. 

The closer the protagonist’s want is to their need, the more complex the character becomes. 

5. Will he/ she get what he/she wants/needs? 

What will they manage to do? One needs to ask whether or not they will get everything or not. 

6. Who knows what and when?

Does the protagonist know what the audience does, or does the audience know more? Playing around with this aspect creates suspense due to expectation. 

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Analysing an Old Tale

Today in class we were given an unidentified envelope which we later found out contained a story book. We were in groups, and mine picked The Prince and the Pauper, written by Mark Twain and adapted for easy reading in a picture book.

We were tasked to read it and consider the story and its main character. 

Tom Canty, the protagonist, makes for a good character, in a very universal tale of acceptance and rags to riches. The 3 Act Narrative Structure of this story and Hero’s Journey was analysed in groups and mapped out. 

As time progresses, we are going to discuss applying the skeleton of this story to a modern narrative. What circumstances would this basic plot revolve around if it were set today? It is something for us to think about, and I have a very exciting idea for it. Watch this space. 

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Plot Types

“All stories are about wolves. All worth repeating, that is. Anything else is sentimental drivel.” “All of them?” “Sure, he says. Think about it. There's escaping from the wolves, fighting the wolves, capturing the wolves, taming the wolves. Being thrown to the wolves, or throwing others to the wolves so the wolves will eat them instead of you. Running with the wolf pack. Turning into a wolf. Best of all, turning into the head wolf. No other decent stories exist.” 

Or so Margaret Atwood, one of my literary heroines, once wrote in her book The Blind Assassin. The other day we spoke of the seven basic plot types that exist within our innate sense for storytelling. 

So within the realm of man’s storytelling ventures, we seem to be attracted to these seven core topics. All including characters we may empathise with. All including conflict. 

We find these basic story cores all around in film, naturally. For instance: 

1.

Perks of Being a Wallflower. Within this film we see the protagonist overcoming the monster, which turns out to be within himself, and his harrowing experience which evolved when he was younger, and which he had in turn blocked out. This antagonistic force, which lived within him mentally, needed to be overcome in order for him to reach his strength and live his life. 

2.

We Need to Talk About Kevin. The tragedy of the downfall of a mother who attempts so hard to try and befriend and aid her son. Ultimately, she is not able to prevail over him, and keep him or her family safe, which ends in her destruction. 

3.

Gone Girl is an interesting film due to its pretence of being a particular plot type, at times. Appearing as a rebirth of the protagonist, the ending proves to show that in fact there is no rebirth that has occurred. Cleverly, the creators places illusion in plot as well as in narrative. Furthermore, it is also a voyage and return of sorts, although has the experience that the character earned actually given them anything good? It is a tragic story, too, due to the fatal flaws of the protagonist being their ultimate downfall. 

4.

Due Date is a thoroughly comedic plot, with a truly humorous character being able to get through adverse circumstances, and easing into a very cheerful end. 

5. 

Harry Potter! And the eight films worth of a quest that him and all who choose to help him set out upon. To overcome the monster and reach a point at which the wizarding world is safe. Another example of a few plot types all merged into one story, yet providing one prevailing type. Many films do contain a variety of plot types within them, as this is what makes a film so multi-faceted and interesting. Particularly a story that spans such a long period of time. 

As humans our storytelling is innate, and one is able to find an almost awesome link between them all. 

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The Coen Brothers’ Unique Dialogue Shooting

It comes as no surprise to any person who is learned or experienced in film-making that conversations must be handled with extreme care in any moving image piece. In the above video from YouTuber ‘Every Frame a Painting’, Tony Zhou reflects upon the Coen brothers and their fantastic ability to create the perfect mood in conversation, and bring out precisely what is trying to be said. It is not purely dialogue that is vital when filming conversations, as non-verbal aspects play an equally important role. 

I believe that the narrator is very right in saying that their unique ability to create tension and humour, closeness and aloofness, and to compose a full story regarding the character’s personality and current state of mind, has a huge impact on their audience. 

Due to their use of particular editing, the Shot - Reverse Shot, and through their immaculate timing, they are able to speak volumes. They do with it what many filmmakers do not, they use it to their advantage, as not simply a multiple camera rule of film-making, but as a tool for creating a story within every conversation. They break the barrier of the common rule. 

A vital part of their ability to communicate a world of information through their filmed dialogue is also due to their framing. Depending on how intimate they wish the moment to be, simply moving the camera from besides the speakers, to right in front of them, immediately creates a personal bod between viewer and subject. 

For instance:

If you pay attention, your feelings of closeness to the situation, and presence in the room, is felt with the characters. Even to the point of familiarity to the introduced character- it evolves with that of the character whose POV we are contained within at the time.

It is an essential piece of knowledge to consider, in terms of visual storytelling at its finest. 

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Second Instagram Story

For my second week, I decided to capture an image which was very interesting, in my eyes. It captures a pair of hiking boots next to an empty bottle of wine, in a field. The subjects came together nicely, and my intention of communicating that something had happened to the wearer of the shoes was managed. 

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Character Studies and WANT VS NEED

Within every story, the protagonist always passes through a journey. In every case, one is likely to be able to find somebody who wants something and finds great difficulty in getting it. Generally, the person (or thing) that they are directly conflicts with that which they want.

In order for an audience to root for a character, there needs to be an elements of conflict. A struggle to gain something, whatever that may be. With regards to characters, and that which impinges upon that which they want, generally thee exist certain fears or character flaws within them. 

These never change for the character, as it is not realistic for a person or thing to just change entirely, and would not allow a sense of empathy within the audience. Instead, as is with mankind and its nature, character traits merely shift and alter in degree, particularly in terms of weaknesses. These are either turned into strengths, or diminish until they are beyond being problematic. 

Case in point: taking Marlin in Finding Nemo into consideration. He starts off as being enthusiastic, family oriented, and caring. Yet he also worries and is very insecure. Following his journey, and learning what he does about his son’s strength, he does not lose his worried self, yet he learns to trust enough so as not to worry to an unhealthy degree. 

Below are two other examples: 

Ariel (The Little Mermaid)

Outlook on Life: Hopeful, positive, adventurous 

Personality: Carefree 

Weaknesses: Stubborn

Want: To be human

Needs: A purpose/ Love

Ariel starts off as a very carefree, positive and hopeful character. She is very stubborn and will not listen to any merman, mermaid or animal who tells her that she cannot have legs and be human. She maintains this attitude throughout, yet her stubbornness finally turns into a great amount of willpower, which allows her to get that which she dreams of, and finally defeats her ‘monster’, winning the blessing of her father. 

Simba (The Lion King) 

Outlook on Life: Happy, positive

Personality: Determined, strong

Weaknesses: Immaturity, unthinking

Wants: To be king

Needs: To learn responsibility

Simba is a very positive and determined young cub at the start of the film. He is unaware of any evil or danger in the world, and believes that everything can do nothing else but go right for him. At first glance this may seem positive, and some of it is, yet he has an unshakable immaturity to him, which does not allow him to think things through. Following the journey he goes through, he learns to put his positivity and strong-swilled nature at the forefront, and manages to start thinking and considering all that could and should be done.