For first class of the year we did the usual introductory stuff, going over the handbook "supplementary guide" and seeing what the year has in store.
Photo Credit: Dillon Kirton
First assessment is a group project in which we learned how to film news or live events, this exercise is supposed to teach us how to adapt under ever changing circumstances. The way Patrick explains it: If we're filming the Queen during a live event we can't block her or get a second take, we have to quickly find our shots, and keep editing in mind while doing so.
Filming news has to be quick and effective, the exercise involved us filming a subject going from one point to the next in a way that we can edit the different setups together. We got three different angles/types of shots in one go.
Below you can see my first try filming a car going past, I got (or at least tried to get) three in and out points.
The edited version, I added some news audio to make it seem closer to the real thing:
I could have been much cleaner here, getting stronger types of shots and better in and outs. Sebastian in our class did a really good job with his, where he went from a close-up, to a mid-shot to a long shot. Admittedly it was harder with my DSLR, as I didn't have access to the zoom capacity the X200's provide.
For this one I filmed Matthew walking past, he broke into a run, proving the unpredictability of a live event.
It took me a while to decide what I wanted to do, I failed last year (I think) and didn't really know what I was doing. I want this year to be different and became frustrated when I didn't know what to make my question. A resolution for this year is talk to more people and get more insight from others, I did this for my idea and it worked very well. I talked to Vaughn and he helped me gain a better understanding of what kind of question I should be asking. So I decided on a question that I am actually interested in and something that I would like to do:
I am going to explore subjectivity in film, and how it's communicated to the audience. I want to look at how things we feel can be translated to film and how I can use film techniques to represent this.
This week we started with an Activity in class which required us to choose our question, I was absent but a classmate provided me the instructions, which I have written down and filled in below:
Write down the question How can subjectivity be represented in the medium of film? What practice is required?
I need to work within my chosen medium (film) and will probably explore the question by making a series of very short, experimental movies, each focusing on just one idea. What are the main parts of your question (break into parts)? - How
I am asking a very practical question. It's not why or when, I know why people use it and I know when it's been used (although these will still be factors in my exploration of the question), it's howcanIcarry it out practically?
It's about the method, the ins and outs - of creating something that has a sense of subjectivity. - Subjectivity
How do I define subjectivity? It's a very broadly applicable term, I need to be specific with what I mean here. - Represented
I want to explore how I can represent subjectivity in a way that the audience understands. Books and other mediums have an easier time of representing (or communicating this idea), how can it be done in film?
Might change question to:
How can subjectivity be communicated in the medium of film? - Medium of Film What theoretical/practitioners research is required?
There is a lot of information on subjectivity in film to be found on the web, in theoretical books and essays and practical examples from filmmakers who have already incorporated the idea into their work (Son of Saul, Danny Boyle). Reflect - Is it feasible to address in time-frame/resources available?
I've got about 14 weeks to complete my body of work, I can't start filming anything until the equipment room opens, I also want to research the subject some more first before jumping in feet first.
My plan is to spend the first two weeks purely on research, after which I will try and juggle practical and theoretical. It gives me about 10-12 weeks for filming, I reckon that if I do a short every second weekend, I can produce about 5 or 6. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our first assessment is due on the 12th of March, when we will be presenting our Proposals to the class (worth 15% of paper). This is followed with the Body of Work due on the 28th of May (worth 60% of paper) and Documentation due on the 4th of June (25% of paper). We are able to choose how we want to document our process, my method of choice is the blog, as such this blog will serve as part of the Documentation assessment.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Research Week 1: Theoretical:
In my estimation subjectivity in film uses a language that is completely unique to the medium, visuals, cutting, in general a type of subtext that can support or add to the main story. The specific idea I want to explore is using this third language to place the audience inside the mind of the character.
A bunch of practical examples from Cinefix, what is most interesting to me is how they define subjectivity in film:
Can a camera look past how things look to how they feel - I like the way they describe what I am trying to explore. Subjectivity is about creating the experience of what it's like to think from a characters mind.
I like how they break their lists into different categories, showing there is a lot to play with in this field.
The video below is interesting because it displays what I mean when I talk about the subtext of a film, and how movies can use visuals to reinforce the story (specifically expressive shots segment - 6:17):
I like what he says about using different types of shot to represent the air or relationship on screen; he calls them "expressive shots".
Practical: There are two films that I take great inspiration from when embarking on this question, they are two of the films that I saw recently that started me thinking about subjectivity. Son of Saul
The first is Son of Saul (2015) a foreign, indie movie that takes a very unique approach to representing World War II. Not through it's story, which is interesting in and of itself, but because of the way it's presented:
This clip displays the film's unique style. It's something that this director incorporates into all his work, like his 2007 short film With a Little Patience that serves almost like a companion piece to this. By constraining the frame to 4:3 and adopting a shallow focus, the character feels drawn into himself and desensitized to his reality.
The main character here is a Jew in WWII working under the Nazi's to help kill and burn his own people, so the way he feels is represented fittingly.
This is what I am talking about when I say subjectivity, we are with the character every moment and even from the first scene of the film we feel, in a way, what he feels.
Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Steve Jobs)
A practitioner of this technique who I really like is Danny Boyle, who's films often use editing to represent how people experience memory or how he uses visual metaphors to represent the way a character feels.
The classic example from his oeuvre is the toilet scene from Trainspotting (1996) where Boyle represents the experience the character is having as fantastical. As an audience we are transported into how the character feels more so than what is actually happening. Unlike other directors, who would take a removed, objective point of view, Boyle decides to place us directly inside the character's head.
The clip below is from T2: Trainspotting (2017) which displays how Boyle uses editing to represent how a character experiences memory and how he shows someone's thought process.
As he talks images from the first film and new footage is inter-cut, some of which we've never seen before. It's what he relates to what he's saying because when we speak we aren't just making it up on the spot, but drawing from years of experience (like the shots from the first film) and everything has a subtext (like him unsatisfied in bed). Again we are inside the character's head.
This is more what I want to lean towards, visual metaphor can be difficult to stage, editing and other film techniques are easier to do but still have a profound effect on the way the audience feels and sees the character,
This same technique is used in another of Boyle's films that I think deserves mention: Steve Jobs (2015). There is one shot during the final scene of the film where it cuts back in time to where Steve is working with his best friend, Woz, out of a garage. It's quick and he just says his friend's name. That's all.
I think it is a Boyle touch because most of the movie is very Arron Sorkin-ish (the writer), it's in these small moments where Boyle shines. This one shot spliced in stayed with me and added a sense of nostalgia and sadness to the final scene.
My idea needs refinement and I need to be more specific with what angle I am going to approach this from. I didn't have a lot of time this week which is disappointing because I want to get stuck in straight away. Last year I screwed up when I did BVA103, I kept changing my idea and was unable to answer any one of my 15 million questions. The difference this time is that I've chosen something that I'm genuinely interested in, this passion will keep me loyal to the question and help me move forward. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brainstorm:
I've come up with one idea this week that I think will work and be interesting to explore: - Play same scene from different perspectives, or from one character's perspective but in two different points in time
I recently re-watched Moon (2009) and I can't help but feel that there was a lot of missed opportunity there in having two of the same character interact with himself at different points in his life. It's such a rich idea that not only could have been better explored, but which has a lot of application outside the universe of that film.
I think it would be very interesting to see how a character's opinion about an event in their life changes, which could be shown by filming the same scene twice, with different techniques.
The first week of course served as an introduction to Audio Tech, we covered three main things: 1. Handbook and Assessments
As per usual our first step into the paper was to look at the handbook and get a glimpse at the planned year and our upcoming assessments.
The first of which is a PowerPoint presentation about the use of music in film. This is due in Week 6 which gives us plenty of time to research, write and prepare the proposal.
Description
Marking Schedule
I am looking forward to the presentation, the challenge will come from keeping it concise. We have a large class and not a lot of time, the aim is to do a good presentation, but not overstay my welcome.
My first step is to start researching the subject, after which I will choose the film I wish to study. We will require multiple references, especially books, so my first step is to visit the two libraries I have access to as well as the SIT online database.
I have until Week 6 so my plan is to spend the first three weeks thoroughly researching the subject, give two weeks for writing and designing and then a week for practice.
2. Sound Design
We learned some important terms this week:
Production Dialogue = Sound recorded on set or location
ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) = Actors record lines in sync with the picture, used when the production audio is unusable. Also used for animation.
NOTE: Some directors also like to replace lines during post-production that are not in line with the vision they have. Recent examples I noticed was in Pacific Rim and Crimson Peak.
Sound Effects = Three types - Background/Ambient (Nature sounds), Hard Sounds (Door slams, body falls) and Design Sound Effects (Sounds not found in nature).
Foley = The sounds created when a person moves or interacts with their environment (clothes rustling, footsteps)
Music = Three kinds - Score (Underscore that is made by the composer, non-diegetic music), Source Music (Sounds we hear coming from something on screen e.g. radio or band playing, diegetic music)
3. Clichés
We looked at some common cliches related to sound design and music often seen in movies, some of those that stood out to me were: - All bicycles have bells
The clip used was from Back to the Future (1985) - Timestamp = 2:44- what surprised me about it was that the illogical nature of the situation didn't bother me at all. Usually these kinds of things make a movie worse, but it works so well here with the editing and movement of the camera.
It's important to the plot in the moment, while Marty McFly's father doesn't have to ring the bell - and by the looks of it isn't - it works extremely well in catching the attention of both the character and audience. When this played it was so seamless I was actually taken aback - something as odd as this should stand out way more than it does.
I think it must be so ingrained into the cinematic language, and we are so used to it, that the thought never even crosses our mind. It's interesting because this is the case with most of these cliches, it's become so normal - and works so well - that we hardly, if at all, notice it.
Cliches aren't always looked upon in a positive light, I myself can't usually stand a film that is too predictable or generic. Even before seeing this clip I had my expectations set to be disappointed in the laziness of the filmmakers. How surprising that I not only didn't mind the use of it here, but I actually think it was a necessary addition.
- Explosions are always in sync no matter how far away they are, and thunder is in sync with lightning
I cherry picked this one because I think it would be interesting to see a film buck this trend. It's a small detail, and something very few people would think twice about, but it could add to the overall tone of a film. If explosions were represented realistically it would ground the film more in our reality and I think people would notice this attention to detail. It must already exist, and I've probably seen it done differently in tons of movies, but I can't name one of the top of my head.
What interests me is how the smallest details of a film - like the sound design - can add or detract so much to it. If everything in a movie is intentional - which it should be - then syncing up audio exactly with the explosions or thunder places a film more in a realm of fantasy. It admits it's a fictional universe, the world of the movies. If the audio is delayed like it would be in real life, then the film is saying it's more realistic, closer to home. I think it would be interesting to see these two audio editing techniques used in the same film, Here's how I think it could be done:
- Sound synced exactly with explosion gives the scene a sense of immediate terror and urgency - the protagonist is experiencing the unfolding events quickly and in the moment. - Later in the film the sound is delayed, it gives the scene a sense of dawning horror and reflection. the protagonist feels more removed and like an onlooker. - Car tires always screech (even on dirt roads)
I liked this one purely because of it's illogical nature. It's something I would never have thought of but definitely adds to the cinematic language. These are things that wouldn't even be thought of in another medium, there is no reason to make tires screech on a dirt road in a book. Movies need that added element to support what's happening on the screen. Maybe it's just a holdover from radio, but the two elements (visual of a car and sound of screeching tires) are so conjoined in our minds that it doesn't even bother us.
- Storms start instantly
This is an example very similar to the explosions and their audio not being delayed. The logic here is flawed, but very much part of the movie world and I think it can be used differently to represent different tones. I think it would be really cool (and once again something many people have probably already done) if the storm slowly built up over the course of a film. It would give a different air to the proceedings. A storm suddenly breaking out can represent one thing, I think a storm building and then breaking reflects how the characters are slowly moving towards a purging of emotion.
I think this is cliche is most common in rom-coms, so doing it differently in that genre can be very interesting. How do you keep a movie light and comedic with the overlying threat of a growing storm? I think exploring this idea can produce a very interesting, and different film, where the storm breaking is a release for both the characters (like the intention with this technique usually is), but where it will have more weight to it and probably be clearer to the audience.
Of course this is where I realized how much audio can affect the production of a film. Here I worked back from a cliche to a place where everything surrounding the production of the film, and the story itself, has to be altered. I think with film audio always comes second, it can have a great change on the film itself, but is always dependent on what's already there. It is after all post-production.
- Airplane tires always screech on landing
This one is something that has been so ingrained in my head because of film that I haven't ever thought it was weird in real life that they don't always screech. I honestly thought planes always do this, and I've never had a reason to think they don't. - When a character pulls out a knife or weapon, even from his pants or a leather pouch, it will make the sound of metal brushing against metal
This is another one that I actually really like, it is such a good way to sub-textually represent what is happening on screen to the audience. It tells us more what the weapon represents over it's realistic attributes, and honestly this is one I feel doesn't need changing at all. It works well.
- When people speak into a microphone there is always mic feedback when they first start talking
This is another one that stood out to me because of the fact that I never made the connection that it happens so regularly. It's interesting that audio is one of the few areas in film where the cliches are familiar, but which I've never thought about. Usually with story beats or visual techniques the cliches are obvious to me, it's exciting and yet concerning that I haven't made these connections with sound in the past. Even now looking a movie clips I find audio to be the thing I pay the least attention to - I never realized how much I missed.
It's exciting because it's a new world to me, something to really dive in to, it's concerning because it's obvious not a natural talent of mine. I've talked to some classmates and they do notice sound design where I don't. - People can hear each other just fine at discos and nightclubs, also when there is a helicopter taking off right next to them This is one of the few cliches I was aware of before this class, and the reason for this is probably mostly because of the film The Social Network (2011), which made an effort to represent this realistically. It encourages me that defying some other cliches might make for interesting scenes in films.
- Explosions in space make noise Again I know about this cliche because it's been defied in the past, specifically Gravity (2013):
The sound design in Gravity adds a lot to the way the film feels to watch. It's a very immersive film, every aspect of it encourages that including the sound design which is from the subjective viewpoint of the main character. Every instance of contact sounds dull, as if you have headphones in your ear. The only sound comes from within the suit - because there is no sound in space - so the only sound that comes from explosions in this film is when the vibrations can be felt by the character. It's extremely effective and no wonder that this film won three Academy Awards for it's Sound.
We also looked at the Wilhelm Scream:
This is a sound effect that I think most people interested in film become very familiar with very quickly, the problem I have with it is that it is used in all movies - no matter the tone or placement in the story. The reason I find issue here is simply because it does take me out of the movie, it's something I've wondered a lot about - would I use it in my films? All the great directors seem to, but I think it's become too obvious, and too much of an interruption.
Admittedly it's a pretty funny sound effect to use, it's a unique scream that would make anyone look twice. Seeing it pop up in so many straight films is pretty cool and a rare thing for serious artists to do. Unfortunately these compilations are terrible quality, so I just attached the one that we watched in class:
Dies Irae:
Since our focus this year is music and not sound effects, I thought it would be relevant to mention Dies Irae here, which serves as kind of a Wilhelm scream for musical scoring.
This Latin Hymn that dates back to the thirteenth century and has been adopted by many a composer over the years. The name translates to "Day of Wrath", it's subject matter being the book of revelation. Because of this many writers like to quote it to represent death or rampant destruction - it's also made it's way into film scores:
The video below is what originally made me aware of this trend, myself not being classically trained in music I would probably never have come across it. Luckily this channel deals mostly with video game and movie music, the creator also provides a very good explanation as to what Dies Irae is and breaks down how it is use in movies (timstamp: 6:02).
I really like this one because, as the person in the video says, it's more serious and I think it has more range because of that. It can be used in any kind of film and tweaked enough to fit perfectly with the pre-established tone - whether that be a comedy, horror or action movie.
What I also really like about this one is that it has a reason to be used, it's a universal leit-motif.
Speaking of Giacchino he is one of the composers I consider looking at for my presentation, he is most well known for his work with Pixar (Ratatouille, Up) and revitalizing old franchises (Speed Racer, Star Trek).
What I like about his method is that he draws from those who came before him (like incorporating the 60's Spider-man theme into his score for Homecoming or pulling from Williams' work in Rogue One), something a lot of movies fail to do (e.g. the Transformers movies or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles remake).
As mentioned in the video he also likes to get one chord or sound to inform the entire soundtrack, something that captures the film for him completely - this is something I think is very interesting and would like to explore further.
Danny Elfman is also one of my favourite composers, although I think it would be hard to choose any one movie from a composer to explore. The best film score ever, in my opinion, is for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, written by Howard Shore. I would choose this but I feel like it will be a very popular choice in class.
