Gradually Gaining Insight...

This last class (which was about two weeks ago) is difficult for me to remember. It's always been hard for me to adjust to school and recall the things being discussed in my classes after a long break, but here it goes.

The first thing we did was watch a short film called, "The Last Summer," which was created by a graduate film student for his thesis. It was helpful to see all of the elements of the filmmaking industry we have been learning about being united on-screen. By watching this film, we were able to see how the setting, the actors, the screenplay, the script, etcetera are able to mesh and become an organized story. Each week, we do a different workshop that is focused on a different aspect of film. For example, we have done workshops on sound, editing, and cinematography. But it can sometimes be difficult to tie all of these elements together. This short film helped me to wrap my head around the fact that each part of film is intimately tied to the other parts of film. Yes, they each are constructed and work differently, but they are all vital to the end result and must fit together.

After watching and discussing this short film, we were also shown several videos. The "Academy Award Winning Movie Trailer" was very funny and emphasized how cliche and predictable many movies can be advertised in trailers. Another video was of Alfred Hitchcock discussing the importance of cinematic tension. He was telling viewers that the most important factor in film is determination; and when the plot calls for tension, it must be built up and then relieved. Otherwise, the audience will not be satisfied with the plot's delivery. After discussing these videos and answering questions, we then broke up into our individual film groups and discussed any last-minute details.

In my group, we made some important decisions on what type of lighting we should use in certain scenes. In addition, we decided where we were going to film and when our first time to film would be. We also decided to do a walkthrough of the different camera angles before filming. By walking through the set and camera angles beforehand, the actors' and other crew members' time wouldn't be wasted with a lot of standing around on film day. After making these decision, we were ready for the camera and have already begun shooting our scenes. I am excited to see what the final product will be!

A Twisted Ending

After watching The Player, I have to say that I was creeped out and unhappy with the ending. Although I am a sucker for the happy endings to prevail in movies, I was especially rooting against the anti-hero, Griffin Mill, in this particular film. In fact, this movie has a consistent theme of the movie-making business and happy versus unhappy endings. Oh, the irony.

As the movie came to a close, I found myself feeling irritated, confused, and disturbed. The discussion about the movie brought a lot of different things into perspective and gave me a little more understanding as to why the ending was how it was. The movie is focused on a movie executive whose job is to listen to an endless number of writers' pitches for possible movies. After getting several threatening postcards in the mail from an unknown writer, Griffin Mill tries to hunt down his attacker. He eventually tracks down a writer and kills him, but it turns out that the writer he kills was not his attacker; thus, the threats persist. To make this movie even more twisted, Mill falls in love with the dead writer's girlfriend. And in the end, he lives happily ever after by appeasing the angry writer and getting away with murder. The fact that he gets away with murder is what bothered me. Where is the justice? What did the innocent writer die for?

Well, maybe these questions can be answered by the director's intentions of the film and film's background. After discovering that the film fits into the genre of film noir, things began to gradually become pieced together. The music beats during the dark/disturbing parts of the movie along with the twisted ending allow this fact to make more sense. Robert Altman, the director, created a theme of the movie-making business in the film. He depicted this studio business as one that was averse to risk and shallow, screwed people over, and created empty, unrealistic movies. This last point about unreality points out another theme within this movie: the battle between reality and unreality.

One important instance in the middle of the film is when Griffin Mill hears a movie pitch from two writers who want to make a film with no big stars and an unhappy, depressing ending. The studio decides to try the movie; and at the end of the film, we see that the movie opened into theaters using Julia Roberts and Bruce Willis as main characters and instead of dying, Julia Roberts gets saved. Altman is sending the audience a message that in the movie-making business, it all comes down to the story film makers want to tell versus the story they believe that audiences will want to see. Most often, unreality is what dominates in movies. Yet the fact that Altman allowed Mill to get away with murder illustrates that in reality, unhappy endings can be just as common (if not more common) than happy ones.

Short Film Workshop

And so it begins. This past Thursday our class opened up with Eric showing a couple of short film examples. In these clips, he pointed out the importance of details that should be included in our films. From costumes to the background scenery, details should be added to a film in order to make the scenes seem more realistic. Other vital tips that Eric gave us include advertising for good actors. Actors can make or break a movie, so it is a good idea to advertise far enough in advance to cast the actors you are interested in. And probably the most important tip Eric told us is to have everything ready before shooting. By being organized with paperwork, knowing which shots go with each scene, and having your lighting and sound set up correctly, the time you spend on set will go smoothly and productively.

Although we do have a script and storyboard written, we still have a long way to go before we are ready to start filming. Our next step is to begin the production process. I thought that we already had our crew assembled, but we are missing one key member: the producer. The producer is vital to our short film project because they are responsible for getting the paperwork assembled and organizing the set. My group definitely needs to designate someone as producer as soon as possible due to the fact that we begin filming in 4 short weeks!

The second half of the class we broke up into our small groups and had a workshop, discussing ideas about our plot and the technical aspects of our film. Although we had created a storyboard and script, we decided that we needed to expand our ideas a little bit, allowing our short film to be longer in length to fit the assigned time. In addition, we decided that we needed more actors in order to expand our story. Although we have the framework of our script and storyboard, we still need to decide what to do about our lighting and the location of the film. We are gradually making progress, but I know we still have quite a ways to go before we can even think about filming. Having the genre of horror, I think that my group has a big challenge to overcome. It is hard enough to legitimately scare someone with a movie that even professional filmmakers create. And it will be that much harder for us rookies to do the same; but do not worry, we will find a way.

Brian De Palma and Blow-Out

After watching Blow-Out, I felt like it was a different experience than watching Sunset Boulevard and Singin' in the Rain. The plot was definitely slower in this movie than the other two, and the climax was not reached until the end of the movie. Although it was more gradual in its plot, I think this movie had more depth in its chosen themes and more to say to its audience.

Two of the movie's main themes were discussed at the end of class: the moviemaking business and a depiction of America. The movie follows a man, played by John Travolta, who works as a sound editor for a company that produces sleezy horror films. The studio and film business is depicted as run-down and unoriginal in its movie production. Travolta is tired of the fake elements of his career; and after being told by his boss to find more realistic sounds, he takes his gear outside to record actuality. Coincidentally, Travolta ends up recording the fatal car accident of a famous politician. But he does save a young girl from the scene and befriends her.

At this point, the audience begins to see Brian De Palma's depiction of America. Once Travolta arrives at the hospital, the police department tries to convince him to forget about the accident and keep things quiet. Rather than pursuing justice, the detectives are satisfied with covering the accident up in order to protect the politician's reputation. Unwilling to go along with the police, Travolta decides to take justice into his own hands. But in the end, the young girl who Travolta befriended gets killed during a liberty parade. This final scene is very striking because it encompasses De Palma's message about America to his audience. There was a murder occurring, yet no one else heard or saw it because they were listening to the music and enjoying the festivities. No one else heard or saw it besides Travolta because they were not looking for the truth. America, according to De Palma, can be corrupt and ignorant when it comes to actuality and the truth in our daily lives. I do not know if I would have picked up on these themes of reality and America had we not discussed them. But I am glad I did simply because it makes the movie more deep and real; rather than just telling a story, the movie taught its audience about truth and reality.

In addition, our discussion focused on the tendency for filmmakers to borrow/steal elements of cinematography from other movies and previous filmmakers. For example, we discussed how Blow-Out was a re-make of the 1966 Blow-Up. Modernly, I have seen many movies that are re-makes of older films. It is interesting to compare the two because they are not always exactly the same. And I do not know if this is notable or not, but I have always liked the original movies better than the re-makes.

Discussing how this film was a homage to Hitchcock's work, in the sense that many of the filming techniques and shots were the same, was interesting to me. It makes sense that borrowing occurs in the film world because there are only so many shots that can be done. And I never realized this until today, but by looking at other movies and the techniques that are used, we can be inspired to use some of them in our own short films. Having the genre of a horror film, this should be interesting, to say the least.

And So it Begins...

After completing these workshops of editing, cinematography, and screenwriting, I definitely feel like I have a better grip on how films work. I was excited this week to meet with my group and discuss our ideas for the short film project. This project consists of getting in a small group of about 4 to 5 people and creating a short film. But, like most projects, we have several requirements to fulfill. The film must be 3-5 minutes long and fit into a certain genre that is assigned to each group. In my group, for example, we have to construct a horror film. In addition, each group must have the items of a cheese grater, a guitar, a skull, and a mime/clown. The line, "Why is this happening to me, today of all days" is also required to be in the film. Knowing these limitations and our specified genre, my group began discussing ideas for a horror film.

I believe that our film is headed in a unique direction regarding the horror genre. I do not think it is going to be your cliche, man with a chainsaw scary movie. We discussed making it more of a psychological horror that toys with the audience's mind. (The less gore- the better, in my opinion!) In addition, we discussed making the movie with less actors. Instead of having numerous people in our movie, we thought it might be better to have fewer characters for our audience to focus on and relate to. We did not come up with many ideas, considering two of our members were not present in the class. But I can see that our group is going in a creative direction, and I am ready to start making more detailed plans!

As the director, I am not fully aware of all my responsibilities just yet, but have several ideas for our film. I think that we should use the camera not only as the audience's eye but as a first person perspective as well. I think it would make the film unique and better engage the audience. I believe that with my group, especially since a couple members are highly tech-savvy, we will be able to accomplish an entertaining and impressive short film. Since we have the technology and the people who know how to use it, our horror film should be an event to be excited about!

I believe that our ambition is to create something that is unique. Often times, I see thrillers or horror movies that are far too predictable. In this film, I want something to stand out to the audience and make them say, "Wow, I have never seen a horror movie like that before!" If a movie is unique and different, people tend to remember it more than the films with cliche plots and endings. That, I believe, is our goal. And to achieve it, I think we just need to be creative in how we approach the film-making process, using the skills taught to us in class with an open mind.

Singing in the Rain!

This fact may disgust some of you, but to be perfectly honest, until last Thursday I had never heard of Gene Kelly or the movie Singing in the Rain. I had heard positive things about this film though, so I was very excited to see it! And I am so glad I did because I enjoyed it tremendously! There are so many different aspects of this film that make it entertaining and enjoyable for the audience. From the sound and theme to the dialogue and plot, I found myself forgetting to take notes because I was so engrossed in the film.

Immediately I noticed a key theme and major element of this movie is the sound, particularly the music and musical numbers performed by the actors. This important aspect of the film is seen within the first few minutes and persists throughout the entire length of the movie. When the musical numbers were shown, the choreography and setting for the different scenes impressed me. This movie was a musical to the fullest extent, and you can see the crew's hard work with the lighting, props, music, and choreography within its musical scenes (especially the Broadway scene).

The primary theme that the film focused on was that of the film making industry and a tug of war between appearance versus reality. It somewhat reminded me of Sunset Boulevard in how its plot was centered around the crew members of Hollywood. Both movies highlight the skewed reality some people tend to have toward movie stars and the lack of glamour that is sometimes present. Yet I enjoyed Singing in the Rain much more, probably due to the fact that it is more upbeat and colorful. It conveyed this message by having the silent films mask the truth, while the introduction of sound to the film business brought in a new element of reality. The sound shattered everyone's perspective of Lina Lamont, the pretty face who became popular on the screens of silent films. It seemed amusing and ironic to me that Lina's agent would never let her speak to the public, keeping her voice from ruining her glamorous image. I see irony in this part of the movie simply because even today, our society is still concerned with the external image above all else; and not much, in this aspect, has changed.

The technical aspects of the movie, such as when sound was introduced into show-business, made me realize how far the film making industry has come. One scene, where Lina keeps forgetting to speak into the "hidden microphone" and the camera is locked in a soundproof room, shows that the cinematography equipment we use today is highly advanced. Compared to this early time period in film's history, we can now swing cameras across the top of fields during football games. It is highly impressive. I guess I just never realized how far the sound technology in films has truly come.

Overall, this movie was spectacular. It definitely goes on my list of favorite movies (which is not an easy task, by the way). I hope that I can find other classics like this film and get a chance to see them. I feel like some of the movies I see today are too predictable and hum-drum. Watching movies like Singing in the Rain entertain me while keeping me on my toes; and I think these two sensations are what crew members should strive to capture in their audience as they produce new films.

Cinematography Insight

Within this week's class session, we discussed everything from lighting to cinematography dynamics. And to be perfectly honest, I am still overwhelmed with the technical terms associated with the camera and lighting of films. All of the different methods and tools cinematographers use to capture the performances we watch every day open up an endless number of options for us rookie film students. It makes me wonder how we will be able to choose which effects to put into our short films. After watching the "Bloody Omaha" short film, which mirrored a scene from Saving Private Ryan and was created by three people, it made me realize that if you understand the dynamics of the camera, lighting, and other special effects, then you can utilize those tools to create an impressive film.

Over the past several weeks, I have noted many different effects that film makers have used and the message they want to send the audience with those effects. Among one of the first effects I was fascinated by, and many other people I am sure, was the transition in Citizen Kane that represented the passing of time. After making my short film with the assigned twenty movie clips, I used different transitions and felt like they truly made the different scenes flow and connect to one another. I feel like a transition such as the one in Citizen Kane would be a tool I would like to use in my group film project. By using such a transition, it seems that it would definitely be possible to do with editing software, but it would also allow our short film to stand out and creatively show the audience an element of the story.

Several other methods that can be used within my group film include differing types of camera shots we have studied. These shots include dolly shots, the close-up, and establishing shots. After studying several elements of photography and understanding the dynamics of the camera, I believe that these different shots could be attainable, making the film more professional. In addition, I would also want to use shots based on symbolism, such as the ones made in Sunset Boulevard. In one scene, there was a deep focus shot into Norma Desmond's house, creating a field of depth. This technique seemed powerful to me. I felt like it was both symbolic to the movie's theme and visually stimulating for the audience. If a shot like this could be made in my short film, then it would be used to symbolize a key theme in the plot or visually enhance the setting.

Other effects that could be made are those involved with the lighting. After learning about the three types of lighting (key, fill, back), it showed me that many different techniques can be made with them in order to set a mood in the movie. Whether my short film has a dark, peaceful, or terrifying mood, the lighting can be used to create the mood by casting shadows on the characters. These effects will allow the audience to experience this mood as well.