Thought Experiments written down.

This gallery contains 4 photos.

Long Shot/One Shot A brief write out and directional take on my short film without or with next to no cuts.

One shot/Long shot, Dutch angle/Dutch tilt and lighting.

Examples 1

The one shot or long shot is most likely one of the the most unmotivated camera techniques used in film. Half the time used for only the sake (of the scenes in question) to look aesthetically pleasing with little to no meaning behind the camera angles and to simply “show off”. In doing this, some of the meaning wanted in the scene can sometimes be lost.

Example that loses meaning: Panic Room (film, 2002) Long shot through whole house showing people breaking in. Should feel “confining and contained” but instead feels “porous” and spacious.

Example that does not lose meaning: Oldboy (2003, Original South Korean version) Long take shows main character fighting physically going back and forth showing a struggle to more forward through his biggest fight while also trying to escape. The in the middle, level camera angle allows the viewer to really see everything thats going on while also conveying the message that the main character is on equal footing with with 10+ people he is up against in skill and will. Although relied heavily on choreography and lighting this simple camera movement and camera angle still has a lot of meaning behind it and fits well with the scene.

 

Examples 2

The Dutch angle or Dutch tilt is usually used to show unease or tension in a shot but is also sometimes used for the sake of using it and can sometimes be either used in the wrong sense or just for no reason at all beside to add some flavour to a shot (that usually goes amiss)

Example with no meaning: In Thor (2011) the dutch angle is heavily over used, so much so it became famous. It is not just over used however but it is also used just because the director said “thats how I remember the comic books being drawn” but unfortunately some things do not always translate well from comics into the films and techniques such as these should only be used within reason. Otherwise the viewer will be shown a tilted angle that is highly suggestive to them to feel uneasy but when used in a shot where the characters are just talking, having a heart to heart, can take away and distract from whats actually happening or being said.

Example with meaning: In Do the Right Thing (1989) the dutch angle is used mostly towards the end of the film at the climax and only used within reason as the directer, Spike Lee was a very visual story teller.

 

Examples 3

Lighting in film is extremely important and can often make or break a scene. Lighting can be used to show the struggle or conflict of a character mentally or set the scene for a heart warming or even terrifying part of the film.

Example that lost the meaning: Alien V Predator is one of the films that is highly seen as a film terrible for lighting as most of the time you cannot see whats going on. Part of this is because the director wanted the viewer to feel scared and in the dark as well as not knowing whats around along with the characters; however this can be done with lighting in other ways without literally putting the viewer in the dark and relying on the viewer to highly suggest whats happening on the screen.

Lighting with meaning: The Dark Knight has some of the best lighting in film. In one scene in the interrogation room Commissioner Gordon is shown to be half in the light of a ceiling light and half in the dark. In this part it is cleverly done to show that he is hiding something from not just the joker, but the viewer (batman behind the joker in the shadows)

 

Bibliography: (insert time of scenes within films)

 

Films and articles related to Long shot/One shot: 

https://www.indiewire.com/2014/03/ranking-the-20-greatest-most-celebrated-long-takes-87699/

Oldboy (2003)

Panic Room (2002)

Daredevil (Season 1, 2015 and season 3, 2018)

Kill Bill: Vol.1 (2003)

Films and articles related to the Dutch angle/Dutch tilt: 

Thor (2011)

Do the Right Thing (1989)

Films and articles related to lighting:

Alien V Predator (2004)

The Dark Knight (2008)

Drive (2011)

Apocalypse now (1979)

 

Research question and sub-questions

To what extent is cinematography used to motivate and assist the narrative and to what extent is it used as just a visual spectacle?

How are camera angles and camera techniques used in these ways?

How is lighting used in these ways?

How is mise en scene used in these ways?

 
How is this related to my own work?

This is related to my work as I am looking into ways cinematography elements used as a visual spectacle and have had the true meaning/feeling of the scene lost, in an abundance of films, because of this. Furthermore I am experimenting to see how these techniques can be best used in the process of film making while treading the line between aesthetically pleasing shots and meaningful cinematography.

Bibliography

Case Studies:

Sound effects – Robert L Mott, Pg. 66/67

The Film Handbook – Mark De Valk (also has Mise En Scene), Pg. 49/50

Films and articles related to Long shot/One shot: 

https://www.indiewire.com/2014/03/ranking-the-20-greatest-most-celebrated-long-takes-87699/

Oldboy (2003)

Panic Room (2002)

Daredevil (Season 1, 2015 and season 3, 2018)

Kill Bill: Vol.1 (2003)

Films and articles related to the Dutch angle/Dutch tilt: 

Thor (2011)

Do the Right Thing (1989)

Films and articles related to lighting:

Alien V Predator (2004)

The Dark Knight (2008)

Drive (2011)

Apocalypse now (1979)

Other:

Cinematography: Theory and Practice: Imagemaking for Cinematographers and Directors, by Blain Brown

Set Lighting Technician’s Handbook Film Lighting Equipment, Practice andElectrical distribution, by Harry C Box

Experiments

Will use 3 pieces of wire instead of 4 to allow for easier movement but while still keeping it’s strength.

Research

I will be choosing documentary and narrative forms for my animation film treatment and will be focusing on change and effects these chances have on people and the main character. Linked in with this I will also be including moving forward in life while remembering past times to cope with the present and future.

 

Narrative:

An inspiration for my narrative short film is a 12m 2D animation called “The House of Small Cubes”. This story is about a man who keeps having to build upwards from his house as the water levels are constantly rising. The change in the story has already happened and this is found out when he drops his smoking pipe and it sinks down below. He then dives down through all the old levels of his house remembering old times and seeing how everything has changed as well as been lost throughout his life. 

For my Short film with narrative I would like to also have the change to have already happened and be shown throughout the story while the character is being forced to go back to a place that they have left behind. 

 

Narrative Idea:

For my narrative Film an object I have chosen is essentially an “anchor” which is slowing/stopping the character but means a lot to them or cannot get rid of it but by letting this go or learning to rid themselves of this object they are able to move forward whether it be in life or past an obstacle physical or mental.

My narrative storyline will be about a leech attached to my character that they will wake up with and will be pumping bad thoughts into them while slowly draining them. The more the character remembers bad things and dwells on the matters the bigger the leech will get. This will go on for a few days while they try and cover it up and pretend its not there as well as trying to hide it from a friend that comes to visit to then eventually showing the character get weaker and frail before collapsing. The friend will come in and the main character will show the friend the leech. The friend will care for them and the next day the character will awake feeling refreshed but with the leech still there, but not causing much damage.

This will be to symbolise the vicious cycle of a number of mental health issues and what has to be lived with. The message is that you may not be able to completely get better but there is a better way of living by letting the people that care about you into your life as sometimes it is not possible to do alone; instead of hiding yourself away while things spiral out of control.

Observational Documentary:

For my documentary film one of my inspirations comes from a film that is 2h 10m, 2D animated and is called “In This Corner of the World”. This story is about the life of a girl and her family in Japan while World War II is happening and the struggles as food is rationed, resources are minimal and family members go of to war and are killed in action and the effects it has on the country and people within it; as well as the effects and damage done after the nuclear bombs are dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 

What I will take from this film is the style that it used to document this characters life in a visual way over narration as well as the changes the girl goes through, throughout the years to try and adapt to the situation and cope with certain outcomes.

Progression of character throughout film:

Documentary idea:

For my documentary style film I’d like to explore “loneliness” in the modern age. This is because there has been a rise in the amount of people feeling lonely between the ages of 18 and 32. My research has lead me to believe that this is because of today’s technology, while being able to easily bring people closer together over long distances it has become relied upon and in turn sacrificed most cases of meeting up and being with someone.

The message I’d like to put across in that “Technology is a double edged sword” while making it easier to be closer and in contact with people, it is also easier to distance yourself unknowingly and hide yourself away.

I’ll be showing this in my short film with the contrast of using technology to communicate constantly and the effect it can have on some people and compare to it when the character was younger before they started to use phones etc. when they were with their friends and how much happier they were and how much more free they felt to then evolve into the character taking a page out of his/hers younger self and reconnecting with friends to go out and enjoy the company of others.

My character will have no voice or face to imply that it could be anyone and perhaps for the viewer to put themselves in the characters shoes.

My short film will reply heavily on visuals like lighting, colour scheming, body language and cinematography, sound effects and maybe the use of music.

 

 

My style of animation:

The style I am going to take on for these short films is stop motion. I plan to show the feelings and progression as well as the things that change/have changed in the short films through music, visually shorty telling and the body language of the main character. 

Literature Reviews

Sound design in film can be used to show and make the audience feel fear, happiness, upset and an array for other emotions. This is mostly done through music and is said to be the most important sound design in cinema; however I am exploring with my own work how film can be made and still have a great impact without music. Tim Crook  wrote “music must supply what actors cannot say”. While I agree that music can be used for this, I would not say it is a “must”. I believe when speech is not used in film the music is not the only go to technique. Sound effects coming from the character and the sound boost with other movements from around the character as well as body language and even set design can say what the actor or character cannot. An example of this in film is a scene in “The Dark Knight Rises” where Batman is fighting Bane and has been betrayed by Cat woman. During the fight there is only the sounds of the two fighting while Batman loses; this comes across to represent Batman’s loneliness after being betrayed and trapped as well as focusing on the impact of the punches through sound effects to imply each hit is doing not just massive amounts of physical damage, but mental too. Tim Crook also writes “if you were to look at a film without music, it would be almost unbearable to look at”. With this again, I completely disagree as I believe if other sounds are done well enough you do not need to become completely reliant on the use of music but also the lack of music can also have a big impact as this can represent isolation and other unpleasant feelings.

Mise-En-Scene is a term used to describe everything within the current frame and its relation to the situation and/or mood of the character. In Emma Jane Wilson’s video essay she describes how clothing, lighting, props and camera angles all contribute to story telling. Emma goes on to show a scene from a film called “Away From Her”. In this Emma explains that the woman with alzheimer’s disease always dressers her best and dresses well for every occasion but as the film goes on her clothes begin to change and she starts wearing things that are borrowed or just going around in her dressing gown. This relates much to my own work as I will also be showing the deterioration of my character through their clothes by having them be torn and unchanged. At another part within this Emma mentions how a wedding ring “in the centre of the shot acts as foreshowing for the viewer”. This is used to show us the deep love a character has for another while unable to find them and that this is “an indication that something is about to go wrong”. Another example more commonly used is when a character talks about their future with another as well as their dreams, this is used to give more of an impact upon the viewer when the character dies or goes through a time when it is life threatening as they never or may never get to live out these dreams. The problem with this in some cases is it can make it very obvious when a character is about to die giving away a major plot point within the film when not done correctly can often take away from the impact that is trying to be built up. I personally will not be using foreshadowing for this very reason or if I am going to use it I will make it very subtle like how it is used in the film “Away From Her” through props and set design.

For my visual aesthetic I have looked over an article which in the title manages to explain the type of aesthetic I am looking to use. The title states the Quay Brothers animation and style “dally between dreams and sleep”. I am interested in this style as I am looking over such things of mental health and what the effects are if put visually for the viewer to understand what people may feeling when undergoing such mental stresses as anxiety. What the Quay Brothers include in this is the lighting and the dark dingy background with peeling paint that is enough to make the viewer feeling uneasy and out of their comfort zone just by looking at it. What is used a lot is wire and mental thats been bent to show the twisted nature of the scene. I like the use of this as it can also so the weakness of metal and how everything is not how its supposed to be which conveys that something is wrong if it be internally or externally.

Case Studies

For my Analytical writing I have chosen three short films, taking different components from each, including story, aesthetic and use of colour and camera techniques and seeing how I can apply this to my own work as well as what I can experiment with.

The first piece I looked into is “Tzadik” which shows the struggles of dealing with depression on a non specific timeline. The metaphor for depression and the feelings and effects it has on people are done in such a way that anyone who has depression or does not can relate and understand in some form or another. In “Tzadik” the mental illness in portrayed as a dark, liquid like monster sitting with and interacting with the main character. By doing this the creator has given something that can not normally been seen or interacted with, a physical presents and personality within the world. With my own work I will also be bringing a type of mental illness into the physical word as well as try to give it personality that effects the character and physically breaks them down to symbolise the stress and hardship that these illnesses can have on people. The struggle and weight of this illness is shown in this short film when the character tries to leave and move towards a plant that has been given life. The plant in this situation represents a target, for instance getting out of bed or in a more broad sense; pursuing happiness and relief. between the character and their goal is a body of water from which the character must wade through in order to reach their target. As the character moves the monsters starts crashing down on them sending them underwater. This is yet another very clear and obvious metaphor within this short film that shows the viewer that while trying to achieve your goal this feeling that stops or slows the person with depression can be like trending through sludge and in some cases, so overwhelming, feel as though they are drowning with the pressure of this illness crashing down upon them time after another. With my own work I will be using mostly subtle metaphors throughout all of the short film that perhaps not all will understand with only 2-3 obvious and clearcut feelings that the all viewers will be able to relate and connect to with a variety of feelings but that is also intwined with anxiety. For example as a feeling that most will understand and that are guilty of is holding in emotions as everything builds up and gets worse; I’ll show this by slowly impairing my characters movement and patients leading to frustration and eventually to the inevitability of a complete mental breakdown. For feelings that some may not understand and will be more subtle is the anxiety and fear to leave a certain room or stepping outside and the thoughts that may go through someones head to reasons why this will be there. I will put this across by implementing whispers into the audio as a sign of the character thinking and stressing about something that someone without anxiety may not. A metaphor used and that I will also be using similarly is after this the character momentarily gives up but as they turn around to carrying on fighting, the monster physically blocks the character by forming a wall this its body. The physical version of the illness I’m using will also physically stop my character by blocking door ways or grabbing onto objects to pull them back. At the end of “Tzadik” the character over comes the monster, reaching the plant and ascending into the light to show relief and an obstacle overcome to only end up back where he was so show the cycle of mental illness. My ending will show relief after hitting the physical and mental peak of the build up of everything bad and have my character breakdown as well as the illness explode to then go on to show that after this it is still there and will keep happening over and over again unless help is sort after.

Regarding the look of my film I am taking inspiration from The Quay Brothers short film “Street of Crocodile” as well as some techniques used throughout the 21 minute film. During my short film I will take the set and surrounding objects into consideration to help represent the characters thoughts and feelings, following one of the rules of visual film making “show do not tell”. At first the place of which the character will be set, and will remain throughout the short film, will start off fairly normal but as time goes on and the weight of mental exhaustion and frustration takes hold of the character, the set will gradually begin to look fairly similar to the set design on “Street of Crocodile” with peeled paint, dirty mirrors and rusted metal. Each part of the house (walls, mirrors, framing) will represent a part of the characters mind and will correspond with them as such whether it is a change in the blink of an eye or a change from the beginning to the end. An example of which I am taking inspiration from the Quay Brothers short film is how the environment moves including nails unscrewing themselves or strings and pulleys being rotated or pulled. From this it could mean that things within the characters world are unravelling and unscrewing, literally and metaphorically. For my own short film the walls would slowly peel away the worse the character felt and the mirrors will crack suddenly as the character snaps. The design of the set and the use of grey, brown and dim bluish colours makes for an uneasy feeling where something does not feel right and in some cases even implies a type of dream state with things often repeating themselves and other characters all having blank faces. I have experimented with this to show that it may relate to a dream like state to show that the conflict is in fact happening internally as well as a repeat of everything thats happened as you find out at the end it is a cycle that cannot be truly broken. One technique I saw used is the use of two mirrors facing each other giving the impression of multiple happenings. By using this I can show the endless reflections of the character representing their past and it repeating itself on more than one occasion. Another movement that is in the Quay Brother’s short film is the movement of cogs spinning as a thread goes around them. From this I took the meaning as things going around in circles, almost like a cycle which connects heavily with my film. I have looked into using cog wheels all interlocked on one part of the wall to show one situation happening again and again. 

The third short film I looked at was “Home Sweet Home” which shows a sentient house walking across a land looking a place to call home. What I have taken from this film is the shots used as well as placement of characters and objects to show the viewer where they are and where they are going. For the opening shot the character is exactly in the middle of the screen with a 90 degree angle to show the viewer this is the main character and the angle shows no power but also no incompetence either meaning the viewer and the character are equal with each other and does not need to feel sorry for or intimidated by them. On the other hand for my opening shot I have looked at using a birds eye view of the character in bed as the camera slowly gets closer and changes into close up of the character making it very personal. As the story progressed in the short film the camera always stayed on the same side of the character as they walk from left to right showing that the story is progressing. With my own work it takes place in two rooms so I can not apply this technique and will need to use other methods to show the story is progressing as mentioned previously, with my set design and even lighting. When seeing my own character through the lens they will always appear level with the camera and the height of the character will determine their mood and state. The only time the camera will look down on the character is if it is from the point of view of the physical representation of the illness used. Additionally to this during the short film of “Home Sweet Home” the houses cower from a storm under a bridge and in order to show the storm is massive and terrifying the camera angle is low, looking past the houses and up into the rain. A third technique used is as the camera is stationary the character walks past for the shot to focus on something they have walked passed with meaning. This is used as the house is walking down the road and goes past a certain other house which later becomes their friend. Within my own work however I have used it to focus in on a metaphor for the vicious cycle of mental illness in the background of the shot.