Location Scout Weston Park

location scout.
We decided that we wanted to the scenes between George and Jack in Weston Park as we knew how pretty it is. We then went on a location scout to find places that we want to use for the film.

 Cherry Blossom tree under which Jack and Geoge will lie while having a conversation.

Bench where George could be sat when Jack is pacing. Alternatevley where George is reassuring Jack.

Could shoot under here if the weather turns bad.

Pond, which can be shot from multiple points. Will give a great variety of points of view as they can move around the pond and we can also have them feeding the ducks, which will look loveley. Also they can have them walking over the bridge which we have experimented with blocking for.

Edagr Wright and No.1 Dad

Edgar Wright.

From a stylistic point of view, one of the influences for out film is the work of Edgar Wright. In the fantast scenes where Jack is imagining his dad’s reactions we want the snappy hyper realism that is so recognisable in Wright’s work. The over stylised, rhythmic comedy that Wright is famous for is something that we all enjoy.

One sequence we kept referring to was in Shaun where Shaun is planning how they are going t survive and get to the Winchester. In this sequence there is the repetition of the same scenario played out each time with little differences. This is what we are aiming for when we have the fantasy scenes where Jack is imaging how hid Dad will react to his coming out. This is comedic yet very effective. We want to have this quick snappy editing as it will ‘lift’ the piece, the short cuts will grab the audiences attention and make them interested in the film. One thing that maybe a little difficult is making sure the cuts are not too short that they turn into flash cuts. This I think would alienate the audience more that enthuse them. Flash cuts are an effective editing technique but I feel in the context of this film it would not work. I think that there will be some trial and error in the editing process in order to make sure the quick cuts are effective but not too short to a point where they are distracting.

The quick snappy editing is definitely something we want to draw on. It will juxtapose the scenes between Jack and George. These scenes will belong and more relaxed in terms if how they are cut. The shots will be longer and the pace will be a lot slower. In the imagination sequences however, it will be deliberately over stylised in order to heighten the sense that these sequences are not reality. It is the product of an over active imagination. Everything seems amplified inside your head when you are imagining what could go wrong. This is an idea that we ant to convey with in the film.

Elements of sound design are also something that we want to draw on. In Wright’s work he seems to amplify sounds again reinforcing this idea of hyper realism. One example of this is on hot fuzz where Angel takes his coat off the hook. It makes a great swoosh sound that is obviously created through Foley but it gives the scene s a heightened sense of comedic action. He is almost satirising how an action film takes every thing to extremes in order to excite the audience. Although we do not want to be making a film that satirise a particular Genre we do want this idea of over doing things. Again in order to create a sense of the imagination.

So one of our main stylistic influences in Edgar Wright. The sense of hyper Realism in his films is definitely something that we want to draw on for our ‘imagination sequences’.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeJzHSxRq40&feature=related

Sign Language

'Sign Language' Oscar Sharp (2010)

I really enjoyed this film, it was something a little different and it brought a fresh spark of humour. It was also sweet and touching.

The genre, is sort of ‘mockumentary’. It follows the conventions of a short documentary. The protagonist talking to the camera in a way which is conveying their story and 'factual' information. Although here it is obviously a fictional premise. I like this style as I find that it is a window to so many other genres, they mostly cross over with comedy but they can be more than that, they can be satirical or romantic or even action. There have been fictional films made in the style of documentary that don’t necessarily fall into the ‘mockumentary’ category. I think ‘Sign language’ is very close t the boundary of mockumentary. They usually aim to poke fun, where as I don’t think that was the filmmakers aim here. The film tells a nice story, of one man and him moving from one place in his life to another. Of him moving up in the world. But also it tells a love story, al be it one that happens off screen but it is obviously there none the less. This film encompasses a lot with in five minutes.

In terms of the characters, the main character, Ben is a very likable guy. The filmmaker has introduced him very effectively and quickly. From his dialogue it is clear how enthusiastic he is about his job. Clothing can also tell us a lot about a character. It’s human nature to draw conclusions about a character from the clothing, so Ben’s costume is important. His gloves are the part of his costume in shot most often, the multi coloured wool gives the impression that he is maybe a ‘hippy’ type character, according to the stereotype people dressed in his style of dress are seen as ‘hippy types’, probably vegetarian, part of green peace e.t.c. This is not the truth but still, looking at films in a critical light one should no ignore when a character is conforming to a stereotype, weather it reflects reality or not. Also it matches the dress of the love interest; this according to codes tells the viewer that they are well matched. Their colourful dress also helps them to stick out from the rather drab grey streets of London in the rain. It helps to reinforce the idea of this character being a very happy individual. Again this reinforces the how real the character feels to the audience. In a short film there is not a lot of time to establish a character, so every detail is important when creating a believable, three dimensional character that the audience can relate to or sympathise with.

A lot of the framing is very close, there are a lot of shots of Ben that are very tight on his face, where as the other characters are seen in the wide from Ben’s point of view.  This conveys that he is possibly lonely as the other people are only observed from afar. What it also does in reinforce the idea that we are seeing the world from his point of view. The camera never moves from him or where he is stood while he is Oxford Street. This does give a feeling of isolation, but when at the end of the film where his fellow sign guys show that they do care and he should talk to the girl he walk out of frame. This signifies moving on, he’s been stuck in this same place for year but now the promotion has given him this push he has needed. The walking out of frame is important as though out the film the tight framing has enhanced this idea of being in one place and cut off and then walking out of the frame is a visual signal that this is over for him, that he is moving on.

The music, a gentle acoustic guitar track serves two purposes as far as I’m concerned. It help to create the mood of the film, it punctuates the emotional moments of the film. It is slightly melancholic, reflecting that Ben is a little sad at it being his last day before he moves on. It is odd because it does have a slightly sad edge but at the dame time the rhythm is slightly more chipper and the chord progression are in a major tone, giving it a happier feel. In general the sound design is quite normal. There is a layer of atmos which gives context to the scenes, shows where the characters are and makes it seem more real. Then there is the dialogue which is a monologue. Then there is the music which helps to establish a mood quickly in a short piece of work.

In terms of how this will influence our piece. I don’t think that its style is something that we will draw on as we have a very clear idea of what styles we want, which have been discussed in our production meetings.  However we did like the tone of this piece. There is a tendency with British drama, coming from the social realist traditions, to be rather depressing. This piece is light hearted and does not take itself too seriously. In our production meeting it was unanimous that we did not want to make a film that left the audience feeling sad o with a slightly more pessimistic view on life than they started with. There is an abundance of ‘hard hitting’ short dramas out there, and we want to do something with comic elements and that leaves the audience felling a little more optimistic. In my view this is what sign Language does and I think that is something we will definitely take from it.

Sign language is a film that I really enjoyed and I think it has a broader message. The Character who has an all be it ‘lousy’ job, is incredibly passionate about what he does and is happy. I think that the film conveys a great message about life that it doesn’t matter what you do as long as you enjoy it and it makes you happy.

my insiration

My inspirations

In light of the drama project coming up I thought, I’d talk about my personal visions and inspirations for this genre of filmmaking.

Throughout my life I have been exposed to traditional British culture. From the dancing to the songs, to the stories and myths. This has had a profound effect on both my life and filmmaking. The films that I made before coming to university, may have been a little shoddy and basic, but they did draw heavily from the traditional stories and songs that I have listened to my whole life. For me, at it’s heart, filmmaking is storytelling. At the basis of any good film is a strong story weather it be a 2 minute or two hour piece of work.

There is something about the story telling culture of Britain’s past that I find enriching and gives me a starting point when ever I think about writing a story. For years I have been writing short stories and I think they are a lot like short films. In my opinion a short story or a short film tells the story of one moment, not necessarily giving all the background knowledge. Where as a novel would tell a whole story over a long period of time, a short is a burst of narrative that doesn’t always have a conclusion.

From when I was smaller I have always enjoyed the Celtic stories that have been passed down through the generations and I think that I have always drawn from them.

Living in Scotland for the past 9 years has only increased my knowledge and passion for traditional culture. The Island where I’m from still had a reasonably strong Gaelic culture, the music and the stories are still a strong part of the way of life. Therefore throughout my life I have heard the old poems and sagas from the lords of the Isles. Much like the Viking Sagas, they tell epic stories and are full of inspiring characters.

Another major inspiration for me is the environment. Where are I grew up is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Opposite an ancient burial ground and an old settlement, where there are the remains of an old Chapel and a mill along with the scant foundations of a few houses. Walking the dog over in those fields, it doesn’t take much to imagine the people that used to live there and what their daily lives involved. From this I imagined many different characters, then from that built up their personalities. For me this has left me a bank of characters that I can draw on now.

Another big aspect of inspiration in my life in terms of the land is the beaches, walking along the long stretches of sand and sea. The legends of Selkies and mermaids seem to be a little closer to reality.

In terms of my work from this point, I truly believe that where I’ve come from in terms of story telling and the influences on me as a person and filmmaker has been invaluable. It had given me a great creative footing in terms of story telling. 

 Ruins of a chapel. The history of this place is incredible and it is impossible to ignore it and not take something from it.

 The beauty of a winter surise over the hills and Loch, the scenery is so stunning one can't help but want to capture it on film.

 Seals in the bay. It's easy to see where the ancient legends of the selkies came from.

 One of teh beaches, know that there is nothing else until you hit Canada is jsut the most incredible feeling but also there is the feeling of isolation which make you imagine how the ancient people would have felt with out the convenience of fast ferry travel or air travel.

Pockets

Pockets.
I think this is my favourite documentary that we watched in the seminar. Its style and subject are both appealing to me as a viewer and inspiring as a filmmaker.
I really enjoyed the way that it was like snapshots. Of a place, of people, their minds and lives. It was rapid and quick fire in a sense as it gave you a lot of information. However it was edited together in a way that the pace was sedate and pleasant to watch, you didn’t feel like you were being bombarded by information. The information was effectively conveyed in a way which gave us a lot of it but in a way that wasn’t too much for the viewer to comprehend.
It was just a really nice piece. Stylistically it looked great. It was soft and bright which really fitted the subject matter well. It wasn’t a dark or brooding piece. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it was fun but it had lightness to it. Still it was a broad piece. Thought provoking. I saw it as a picture into people’s minds and lives rather than just simply their pockets. It was like a little window into people’s minds. Therefore it helps you see the wider world in a different way. It was like a little pause in the hustle and bustle of the day to stop and think. I think it was a really lovely piece of work that was mostly positive. I think it’s something we are going to aim for tone wise. We all enjoyed this documentary immensely

'Blue Monday'

Blue Monday-Duvet Brothers (1984)

This piece could be described as a ‘scratch piece’. In terms of experimental film, I find it incredibly interesting.
The concept of the film is something different to what one would expect even for an experimental film. However weather or not it is right to be able to expect anything from an experimental film in another issue all together. The best way I can think of to describe this piece is a collage, a collage of moving images, news reels rather than newspaper cuttings. The images, are from a broad range of sources, and seem to be in several categories. One to represent the rich and powerful in society, images of the royal family, a man burning a bank note with a cigar, vulgar displays of wealth. Then there are the images of the miner’s strikes and the poverty of the working classes of Britain in the late 70s and early 80s. Then there are the images of communist displays of military power and organisation. Then there is the text inter woven with these images. There are many different visual elements in the film. Each adds something to the films overall message and power.
The meaning created by these images is seemingly obvious. The filmmakers are making a statement about the political and social atmosphere of Britain in 1980s Britain. The main point to make here is the idea of juxtaposition to create meaning. Here we have the images of great privilege and wealth against images of striking miners. This obviously shows the two extremes of the economic scale that existed. The images then that are brought in of the Thatcher and the Torie government consolidate this idea. Her government was all about the self and capitalism. The film then is clearly trying to convey the message of the evils of the Tory government and their selfish ideals.
The other message I feel is conveyed in this film is the ideas of capitalism leading to chaos and anger. This is then reinforced by imaged of the miner strikes and clashes between protesters and the police overplayed by pictures of organised military parades of what seems to bean eastern European communist state. This then is clearly conveying the massage that capitalism and selfishness lads to chaos but a communism and the idea of sharing out wealth fairly leads to an ordered state.
Another point that adds to the meaning of the film is the soundtrack. The music is a classic 80s synth pop track however at the time it was new and revolutionary. Much like industry was becoming less and less dependant on the power of men (the miners strikes) the music is not reliant on the talent of several different gifted musicians, it is a more mechanical process. Everything is becoming less organic. Also the actual sound, this driving industrial sound is fitting to the themes, the idea of an industrial nation in disrepair fits well with the ideas of a nation that is becoming more mechanical and electronic and fewer dependants on man power.
What category this film actually falls into is a slightly difficult issue. This film could be described as a documentary, as it is documenting the political culture of the 80s and how many of the population were felling. Its use of stock footage and newsreel fits into the conventions of documentary. The editing and composition however does not. It is much more free. I see this as an experimental film for this reason. Usually while making a film about political unrest, a filmmaker would go to interview people, gain different opinions. This disregards all of these ‘rules’. To me this defines it as an experimental piece. The editing is something particularly interesting. The way the music and clips are edited in a way that fits together makes the film even more effective. The cuts fit to the beats of the music which makes it a lot more interesting for the view and also more powerful. It makes one take notice; the beats in the music and the rhythm are replicated through image. One example of this is when the military procession is crossing the screen; they appear to be marching in time to the music. This creates a more powerful image and is a great example of how these filmmakers have used the combination of music and sound to create such an effective piece.
In terms of inspiration and influence for the project, the editing of ‘Blue Monday’ is something that I think we can draw on. Not the themes or massage it conveys but the way it uses cuts to create a more powerful film. One parallel I have noticed with the provided viewing materials is with the Chemical Brothers’ ‘Star Guitar’ video. The way the beats match cuts or action on screen. The industrial feel to the music, and industrial back drop. Although the Chemical Brothers are not trying to convey any strong political message there are some similarities.
In conclusion this is a vey effective piece of work. It conveys a message concisely while still being interesting to watch.

More Ideas!

Edale Shoot

Furthur Inspiration and Ideas.

So we've taken the idea of witchcraft as a central theme and have decided to go down the path of experimental film.

Poppy has suggested the idea f showing 'Two Edales'; one a typical tourist, peak district, 'biscuit tin' village. The other a darker side of magic and mystery. It is fair to say that this idea is influenced by folk horror such as 'The Wicca Man' or 'Blood on Satan's Claw'. These both have this idea of a double edge sword. On the one hand these settings are idyllic and beautiful. People live and work in peace but on the other hand there is a secret. A dark side.

We aim to show what can lurk beneath what appears to be a perfectly normal place.

One idea for how we aim to convey this is through camera work. The shots of 'pretty Edale' will be taken while the camera is on the tripod. This way they will be very formal, showing beautiful views and connoting the postcard image. The the 'witchy Edale' would be shot with handheld. This would convey a sense of creepiness and be more up close and personal. This can be seen in films such as 'The Blair witch Project' where it make the film more scary.

Also after continuing to research different perceptions of witchcraft from my own, inspiration has continued to come from stories, where the fear of witches is very prominent, and a fear of the unknown is a major theme. This is something we will maybe look at in the film. Ghost stories are also proving to be incredibly useful. The setting is always vital in these and finding ones from around the Edale area it is clear how the landscape has influenced the stories and also how the landscape has soaked up years of tales and legends. It is clear to us that this is now a perfect way to show both the beauty and mystery of the Peak District.

This book has been a source of information and inspiration for this project. It is not only interesting but is full of images and ideas that spark creativity in my mind. As we are going to have an element of witch craft in our film this book has been useful. Its extensive information had been incredibly helpful. Also it has helped to snowball the creativness that the pendle witch child documentary sparked.

Props

So after a little bit of a shopping trip, Poppy and I have a few props.

Firstly we have some incense and a candle. We thought these would be useful as these are objects that are used in witchcraft to this day. Therefore they have the cultural connotations that the audience will recognise.

Secondly after finding a block of air dry clay in a craft shop we have decided to make a clay effigy. (Inspiration can come from the oddest places.) This is actually a rather vital prop though. There are many connotations linked to clay dolls such as the one I've made. The link the audience is most likely to make is too a voodoo doll. These have connotations of evil and bringing harm to people. Also there is a long history of clay likenesses being used to bring harm to people with magic. This of course fits our film perfectly.

WE have decided to put her in a red gingham dress. The cultural codes that are associsted with this fabric are what makes the doll even more disturbing. The fabric is closely linked to young school girls, this then connects it to ideas of innocence and purity. By placing the connotations with those of evil that come from a clay effigy it becomes even more disturbing.