Practical Screencraft: Evaluation

Overall, I feel pleased with how the assignment turned out. When I look back on previous works compared to this one, I believe that the film made for this assessment is one of the better pieces of works I’ve been involved in and collaborating was a very good idea. I doubt I could have pulled off a film that I’m as content with if I was on my own. I took on the role as actor for it with my collaboration partner as cinematographer and camera operator. We were both intrigued by how the ending of ‘The Graduate’ was shot and I feel that we managed to capture the look of it very well. I am very proud with how the last shot came out in particular. It not only is framed the same as the source material but the camera movement matches it too, therefore capturing the feeling of the shot complete with the same music. I also feel accomplished by the use of sound. We edited it in a way to make the audience think the music is non-diegetic, like ‘The Graduate’, until the headphones come off and reveals that it is diegetic. A nice twist on the original film. Having our film book ended by Simon and Garfunkel music helps remind the audience what it is based on and adds to piece.

On the flip side though is that I’m not too sure how the video analysis worked out. In my opinion, I believe that I spent more time bringing up examples yet never actually using them or pointing out why I brought them up. However, I do like that I managed to analysis the ending of ‘The Graduate’ from the perspective of an actor as well as talking about other elements of film I enjoy such as use of sound and cinematography. One thing I had to do was shorten the analysis for several reasons. One was because I felt I spent way too long talking about ‘Skyfall’. There was a lot to talk about regarding what ‘Skyfall’ did similar to ‘The Graduate’ however it detracted from the original task at hand and that being analysing the ending of ‘The Graduate’. Compared to my previous attempt at a video analysis, I believe that I this is an improvement. My voice over sounds more professional as it is scripted as opposed to my previous improvisational style more reminiscent of a director’s commentary. This was made more in the style of an analysis and I feel that I managed to convey that. 

Combined, I think that both halves of the film fulfill the assignment brief. I analysed ‘The Graduate’ by looking at what stuck out to me and how the film makers used these techniques and then applied them into my own film. The biggest struggle was the idea for a film which, I previously mentioned, I had to collaborate on. Being in the same boat as someone else allows for strong collaboration that can bring about new ideas to consider filming. We had ideas that can be used depending on the weather as we ended up not using our original idea due to bad weather. I had seen ‘The Graduate’ prior to this assignment however looking deeper at how it was put together gave me a stronger appreciation for the film and comparing it to ‘Skyfall’, a film that I know inside and out, gave me the ability to ground it and analysis it easier. In summary, I came out of this project fulfilled and pleased with how it went. We captured the feeling and the look of the film very well and will look back on this film as one of the better films I’ve had a hand in making. 

Practical Screencraft: Chapter 1 Script

TOM

When looking at the ending of The Graduate. The main aspect that stuck out to me was the use of cinematography combined with acting. The most prominent shot that shows this off is this one

Running shot

TOM

In a way, the camera is conveying the feeling of the scene by making Ben (Dustin Hoffman) appear as if he is running on the spot, going nowhere. It adds to the urgency of the scene as he runs to make it to the wedding. Speaking of the wedding, the way the shot pans towards the church makes the shot work out of context. Out of context, you see a man struggling to run quickly towards a church. That's all you need to understand the situation. In terms of acting, Dustin Hoffman has to also convey the very same feeling as the camera through the use of his body due to the lack of dialogue. Compared to the previous shot, he is running much more vigorously with his focus locked either straight ahead or towards the church.

TOM

This shot actually reminds of another film, Skyfall. (Oh look I'm talking about Bond, how shocking). Skyfall sees the main villain, Silva, debut using this technique as he tells a story for character establishment. What's intriguing here is that, the shot before shows the layout of the room from a different angle which establishes how big this room is. We then see the aforementioned shot and it feels like the room has become bigger. It's very effective as a result. See, it's not just an excuse to talk about Skyfall...

TOM

In addition to the acting and cinematography, the use of sound also caught my attention. The scene begins with 'Mrs Robinson' by Simon and Garfunkel blasting triumphantly as Ben speeds towards the church. However, The song begins to slow down and come to a stop parallel to Ben's car stopping. The lack of music on wards you would think would make the scene feel less dire but it the emptiness and realism of the diegetic sound just makes it feel more ambiguous as to whether he will make it or not. And what happens when he does? The sound of a guitar is heard. How about when Elaine is watching her family scolding Ben. She can't here them because her sub-conscious is focused on what matters more, that being Ben crying out her name. As the film comes to an end, the tone changes drastically. One would think that it would be a happy ending as Ben reunites with Elaine and can be together. Except it doesn't. Instead, the camera lingers on their faces as they slowly begin to realise what they've done and how their lives are going to pan out. All to the Sound of Silence. (Also I liked the that this scene here fits the line in the song "People talking without speaking". 

Practical Screencraft: Test Shots

After studying the ending scene from 'The Graduate', we set out to try and recreate two distinct shots. The first involves a subject walking/running towards the camera in an effort to make it appear as if they are taking longer than necessary or running on the spot. This effect can be used in a number of ways, notably to convey a sense of struggle or create a feeling of unease. We plan on using this for the former example within the context someone being late for a bus. Here though, we just practiced down a hallway in order to capture a long stretch of area we could run down and record. 

The main way going about this is positioning the camera in a certain way while zoomed in and, as the subject is approaching, zoom out the camera. This gives the effect that the subject is further away then they actually appear. This creates the effect that the destination they are trying to reach is a struggle and feels just out of reach. 

The second shot was a the very last shot from 'The Graduate' which sees the bus Ben and Elaine are riding on drive away from the camera. It's a handheld shot that follows the bus a little bit before stopping.

I feel we captured this very well. It was quite simple as all it required us to do was follow the subject for a bit and then stop while the subject continues on. 

We had to make sure that we could accomplish both shots in order to put them into our final film and convey our inspiration from 'The Graduate'. 

Practical Screencraft: Chapter 2 Idea

For Chapter 2, I collaborated with another student as both of us were looking at 'The Graduate' for inspiration. Our original idea actually differed from the final film by a large amount. Originally, our film focused on a man who forgets to buy a turkey for Christmas and rushes to the shops to buy one. The way this would incorporate the source material would be through the cinematography. 

The first shot we studied was the one that shows Ben (Dustin Hoffman) running towards Elaine's (Katharine Ross) wedding. His struggle is conveyed by the way that it appears as if he's running for longer than he should be by a good trick of the camera. In reality, the pavement shouldn't be that long but the way the camera is positioned and used makes it look like it's longer than it actually is. 

The second shot we looked at was the very last shot of the film which sees the bus Ben and Elaine riding on driving off, away from the camera. We felt that this shot was a very strong ending shot and we wanted to end our film with the same, accompanied by 'The Sound of Silence' by Simon & Garfunkel just as 'The Graduate' did. 

We found it appropriate due to it being December however, when we attempted to start filming, bad weather plagued the shoot. As a result, we had to completely scrap it and instead work on an idea that could be filmed no matter the weather as we knew it wasn't going to get any better for the rest of the month.

Back before we changed the idea, we managed to draw up simple storyboards in order to convey how we would shoot the film as well as highlighting the narrative. 

We found it appropriate due to it being December however, when we attempted to start filming, bad weather plagued the shoot. Our new idea was simpler as all it entailed was someone being late for their bus. However, this allowed us to incorporate the music in a more inventive fashion. In initially feels like the music is non-diegetic however when the man pulls his headphones off, it's revealed that the music is playing from his phone. The film bookends this with 'The Sound of Silence' at the end. 

Practical Screencraft: Chapter 1 Idea

For Chapter 1, I had to analysis the ending sequence to 'The Graduate' (Mike Nichols, 1967). To go about doing this, I took on a more unique take on the project. My previous attempt on a film anlysis simply involved me placing my voice over film clips in a 'directors commentary' style. Instead, I aimed to incorporate skills I have developed over the summer for my YouTube based reviews.

My Halloween Based Review

These videos let me learn how to use key framing in order to have images or other objects fly in from the side of the screen which made me think about bringing in film posters to instantly identify a specific film I talk about. I could also bring in arrows in order to point out a very specific portion of the screen. I also learnt about snappy editing that gave it a faster and more comedic tone. I continued to further my sound editing technique and I personally feel that sound editing has become one of my stronger aspects. I wished to continue this for chapter 1.

The main elements of 'The Graduate' I wish to explore are the cinematography, the acting and the use of sound. I find these parts of film the most fascinating and I wished to convey my intrigued with said techniques. As a way of showing how effective certain shots can be, I will use 'Skyfall' (Sam Mendes, 2012) as an example of a film which uses similar cinematography in order to convey specific feelings and meanings. 'The Graduate' for a sense of struggling as Ben (Dustin Hoffman) runs towards the church while 'Skyfall' uses it to create an uneasy feeling as Silva (Javier Bardem) is introduced.

Practical Screencraft: After Effects Tests

During our lessons, we have taken a look at After Effects. While I knew about what it did, I have never actually used it before so this was a new experience for me. At first I thought it would be intimating however I soon realised that it was quite similar to things I have done before, most notably key framing. I have experimented with key framing in Sony Vegas before and have grown quite competent using however a whole program dedicated offers much more tools and variety. An example of using key frames can be seen here:

The planes that fly by are still images blurred to appear as if they are moving by quickly. Since they are still images, I simply key framed the image to travel from one side of the screen to the other. As mentioned, this was familiar territory so it was a good way of easing me into the program. 

Our second exercise proved to be more useful as these were techniques that I wanted to know but never got around to. Most notably, green screen and masking. The clip below shows an example of both:

The subject seen was filmed entirely on a green screen and imposed into a still image. Getting rid of the green screen was simple however making sue the mask was set up correctly to have him emerge from behind the wall was tricky. Sony Vegas only masks in a straight line while After Effects lets you draw out the exact shape which let me draw around the archway, therefore allowing the subject to pass the wall.

These are techniques I will use in the future as well as using After Effects. Having access to this new equipment allows for more experimentation with how films can be done.

Link to 'Slade' Ten Page Script.

Link to script on Google Drive:

https://drive.google.com/a/pca.ac.uk/file/d/0B-Lq22sE1yYweUdYdnBLMUthZFE/view?usp=sharing

Moving Narrative - Evaluation

The Moving Narrative module was one of my most preferred modules. With the other modules, I would have to shoot a film which would always lead to a problem that is beyond my experience and therefore proves much more difficult while Moving Narrative taps into what I very much prefer doing. We were given free rein to come up with a film idea and, since we didn’t have to shoot it, it could be anything. I had my idea for years, specifically the characters and the general direction that their story would go, prior to this course however I was only recently able to ground it into a manageable format. My original plan for my ‘Slade’ universe was as a TV show however I whittled it down and managed to fit it into a number of different films as a franchise.

For the project, we had to show our research into our desired film idea with both written work and a mood reel/poster that capture the tone or inspiration. My biggest inspiration was the ‘Lupin III’ franchise, specifically the second film ‘The Castle of Cagliostro’. My characters and scenarios were inspired by said film so a spend time looking into the history of the franchise and what it entails overall. My most interesting discovery was the live action version of ‘Lupin III’ that was released last year as it is close to what I was envisioning based on iconography and aesthetic.

The area that I was most proud of was my mood reel. I feel that it came together really well. It began a bit hard as I had to pinpoint which footage to use and whether I could actually find it or not. However, once I did, it was a fun process of putting everything together. I knew from the very beginning that I would use a song from the score of ‘The Castle of Caglisotro’ which is why the mood reel began and ended with the song so that it could start and end naturally. The clips were also timed perfectly with the music which especially stuck out to me.

I found the biggest difficulty with making a poster. My Photoshop skills are very limited and, while I did incorporate some aspects I picked up from complementary studies, there were still some things that didn’t work so well. The good things include meshing together two separate people to create Slade’s silhouette while Drake’s was the perfect look by default. I had to splice the 10^th Doctor’s head from ‘Doctor Who’ onto a model’s body for Slade. As it was in silhouette, the detail didn’t matter so I could get away with not cleaning up the neckline. The background is also very generic and couldn’t find anything else more fitting. I do like the font however and I believe that my use of institutional information is strong. The actors listed wouldn’t be my final choices but act more as a guideline for what type of character they are trying to portray.

The script writing process was very erratic. When I got around to starting the piece, I got so enthralled in it that I managed to turn out a seven page draft after one writing session. I believe that my experience with these characters that I’ve had in my mind for so long as well as finding films and shows trying to hit my desired tone, such as ‘The Lone Ranger’ and ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. However I found difficulty trying to convey what I wanted while also making it believable as the first ten pages of a feature length film. For example, I wanted to show off my characters but I feel that the pacing suffered as a result. Within the first ten pages, five of the main characters are introduced including the villain. This seems a bit rushed. Luckily, I spread it out a bit in later drafts and gave more time to chill, evident by Slade and Drake’s conversation in the hotel room and a look at Amos’ personal life.   

Overall, I enjoyed this module. It allowed me to focus solely on the idea stage of film and create our own characters and narratives without the limitation of having to make the film ourselves. I appreciated that I could finally ground my ideas that I’ve had brewing in my brain for years and work them into a thought out narrative. It also gave me an opportunity to use my favourite film in my research as it acted as my biggest inspiration. I’m proud of my mood reel and feel it’s one of my strongest pieces of editing through both visual and audio however my poster needs a lot of adjustments.

Moving Narrative - 'Slade' Poster

Moving Narrative - Development of Idea

While I had my idea for the film for many years now, I was only recently able to ground it for this project. I originally had the idea of making it a TV show as I had a lot of plots for the characters to embark on. Instead, I cut the filler content and simply focused on at least three narratives.

My idea for the 'Slade' universe was to combine a number of genres together starting with the base group. Slade represents gangsters, Drake represents westerns, Scarlett represents spy flicks, Norman represents crime and thriller and two characters not featured in the first ten pages, Lee and his AI ALPHA, represent sci-fi. As the project only required ten pages, I focused on the four to keep it with some level of realism before the film slowly developed into incorporating sci-fi with Lee's introduction. 

For the project, it dawned on me that all of the characters hide behind a facade. For example, Amos displays a sophisticated persona yet hides his brutish dark side while Slade keeps up this idea that he's just a suave, charming thief yet he secretly is on the hunt for his estranged father as well as tracking down the biker gang who betrayed him. He keeps his vengeful side secret. 

The original draft of the script began with Slade and Drake on their latest heist, pulling it off without a hitch. As it felt a bit hectic with another car chase in the next following pages, I changed it to a flashback of their very first heist and how they got out of a tight situation. I also added a bit of a satirical edge, notable when Norman debuts as he is seen putting on sunglasses at night which is making fun of characters who wear their sunglasses all the time which Norman would ironically do. I also added some self awareness with Drake questioning why, with all the people trying to kill them, are they untouchable like many action stars. 

'Slade' Film Character Profiles - Scarlett

Scarlett Dreyfuss

Age: 28

Hair: Red, Voluptuous 

Eye Colour: Green

Height: 

Weight: 

Build: Strong

Outfit of choice: Black zipped up jacket, Red tank top, Black trousers
Occupation: Freelance Spy

Personality:
Despite her strong physique and boisterous, Scarlett is friendly to those who have earned her trust. While she does take her work seriously, she still has a sense of humour and isn't above joining in with Drake and Slade's snarky comments.

Inspiration:
Black Widow (Marvel Cinematic Universe) - Clothes | Hair style (Iron Man 2) | Snarky personality

Fujiko Mine (The Castle of Cagliostro) - Banter with protagonist | Stealthy | Spy | Uses disguises

'Slade' Film Character Profiles - Norman

Norman Anderson

Age: 34

Hair: Blonde

Eye Colour: Blue

Facial Hair: Blonde goatee

Height: 

Weight: 

Build: Average.

Outfit of choice: Black suit with tie, Black slacks, Sunglasses

Personality:
Norman is a workaholic. After being tasked with tracking down Slade and Drake, he stops at nothing to keep on their trail. He is serious, if a bit egotistical as evident with his constant badge showing, and has is solely dedicated to his job.

Inspiration:
Agent Smith (The Matrix) - Sunglasses | Suit | Dedication to job

Norman Jayden (Heavy Rain) - Role in police work | Sunglasses for actual purpose | Detective role

Inspector Zenigata (Lupin III) - International Police Officer | Hounding one specific person

'Slade' Film Character Profiles - Amos

Amos Mills

Age: Late 40s

Hair: Shaved

Eyes: Brown

Height: 6’ 6”

Weight: 268

Build: Tall, Muscular

Outfit of Choice: Green Camouflage Tank Top, Camouflage Cargo Trousers, Black Boots, Brown Flak Jacket.
Occupation: Private Army General

Personality:
On the surface, acts as a sophisticated and charismatic leader however he restrains a brutish and power hungry side. Serves as a big threat for both his strength and intellect. Spends his leisure time listening to classical music and reading.

Backstory:

After spending many years in the military, Amos slowly developed a power complex and began to become ruthless and unpredictable. After a horrific incident, he was discharged and left festering. He spent more time preparing himself to create his own private army by forcing his way to financial gain. Recruiting Grant Everett as his second in command, Amos used his money to set up a base and recruited soldiers and scientists to help create weaponry to become unstoppable. 

Inspiration:

Bane (The Dark Knight Rises) – Strong build | Outfit | Imposing

The Governor (The Walking Dead) – Commanding person | Loses eye by end of the film | Army leader

Sideshow Bob (The Simpsons) – Sophisticated | Psychopath | Revenge Driven

'Slade' Film Character Profiles - Drake

Drake Phillips

Age: 27

Hair: Black, straight hair down to neck.

Eyes: Brown

Facial Hair: Stubble

Height: 5’ 7”

Weight: 160

Build: Fit, Buff.

Outfit of Choice: Brown Duster Coat, Black Stetson, Black Vest, Dark Grey Cargo Trousers, Black Boots, Red Neckerchief.
Occupation: Thief/Mercenary

Personality:
Drake is a boisterous, wacky, and unpredictable sharp shooter. The brawn to Slade's brain, Drake acts on impulse and often leaves enemies confused at his antics. Provides comic relief.

Backstory;

Hailing from a American town trying to capture the feeling of the old west, Drake found difficulty once a drifter named Abraham arrived and weaselled his way into becoming mayor. With the town in his control, he exiled Drake for intervening upon learning that Abe works from Amos Mills. Drake’s father is arrested as Drake can do nothing.

Drake arrives at the big city and he attempts to find people to fight back against Abraham. He begins by taking up mercenary jobs which he felt confident in thanks to his sharp shooting and strong fist fighting skills. He meets Slade on a botched job and the two make a strong duo with Slade’s quick witted brain and Drake’s shooting and brawn.

Inspiration:

H.M. ‘Howling Mad’ Murdock (The A-Team) – Insane personality | Light-heartedness

Otto West (A Fish Called Wanda) – Gun savvy | Bombastic | Immature | Long coat

Deadpool/Wade Wilson (X-Men) – Zany, Loud | Unpredictable | Strong physique

'Slade' Film Character Profiles - Slade

Marcus ‘Slade’ Trent

Age: 28

Hair: Black, forward pointed.

Eye Colour: Red (naturally Green)

Facial Hair: Black Soul Patch

Height: 6’ 1”

Weight: 155

Build: Tall, Slender.

Outfit of choice: Black Suit Jacket, Red Shirt, Black Slacks, Brown Loafers
Occupation: Thief/Mercenary

Personality:
Slade is a gentleman thief with a lust for thrill and money. He is the brain to Drake's brawn and often thinks quickly when caught in a tight situation. He is a suave, cunning and charming. He also makes up his plans as he goes along.

Backstory:

Born in England to Archibald Trent and an unknown mother. Archibald ignored Marcus who could only get along with this sister, Katrina. For unknown reasons, Archibald fled and left Marcus and Katrina to fend for themselves. Katrina moved away when she was old enough while Slade went to track down Archibald in America. While there, he was taken in by a biker gang. The gang leader, Roland, treated him harshly however his second command acted as Marcus’ mentor. His drifter like attitude and persona earned him the nickname ‘Slade’ which he wore with pride.

After years in the gang, Slade was betrayed by Roland and left to be arrested by up and coming cop, Norman Anderson. Slade spent a while in prison until he was met by a scientist who agreed to get Slade released if he assisted in some experiments. His mind was wiped after the experiments however the ordeal left his eye pigments mutated, changing them from green to red. After release, he found himself poor and homeless so he used his skills from his biker lifestyle to begin his career as a mercenary. On a job, he met Drake Phillips and the two collaborated with Slade’s brain and Drake’s brawn to get themselves out of a botched job.

Inspired by:

Lupin III/Wolf (Lupin III/The Castle of Cagliostro) – Gentleman thief | Quick witted | Suave womaniser 

10^th Doctor (Doctor Who) – Hair and suit | Neutral yet heroic |

10th Doctor's hair style that Slade would have

Tulio (The Road to El Dorado) – Money lust | Lanky physique | Facial Hair