Film 301 - Written Evaluation for Film 301 - Research and Experimentation Module

Tuesday 12th December 2017    Research and Experimentation     Lecturers: Kaz, Dan, Andy

Written Evaluation for Artefact and Sketchbook Film

What went well?

Planning 
I wanted to ensure that both my artefact and Sketchbook film were going to be achievable and successful, whilst linking towards the idea of a historical documentary for my forthcoming graduation piece. I created a rough shot list and storyboard to support my project titled “Never Forget, Always Remember”. I have been in contact with various organisations and groups, which tie into my subject matter; they have since taken an interest into my proposal for my forthcoming graduation piece and offered around sources and information to aid my production.

I used this module as a chance to experiment with different ways in which footage can be overlaid to convey an emotional message or create movement within a locked off shot. I feel like the tests that were carried out have helped to sufficiently prepare myself for the intended style of my graduation film. Whilst challenging my practice through taking risks, I feel like this has helped to support my independent research into the content for my short experimental artefact. Both my artefact and sketchbook consist of multiple elements that link into the theme of remembrance. I covered a lot of different areas of research and experimentation, which meant that when it came to the editing for my sketchbook, I had a variety of interesting concepts.

The films that I have watched for visual inspiration consisted of an architectural theme where the viewers are guided to focus on the past in contrast to the present; the same idea is briefly addressed within my artefact and sketchbook film. The audience are given an insight into how the subjects within the frame move within an open landscape, portraying the remains of the airfield or buildings interiors. The technique of overlays have been employed within my short artefact film and touched upon in my sketchbook as a way to experiment with the level of opacity needed for my ghostly figure. Kiarostami’s work influenced the lack of camera movement within my artefact. His experimental piece "Five" from 2003 utilises locked off shots, similar to the opening sequence presented in my film, which presents a young RAF officer walking along the airfield. Here is a link to my blog where I talk about Iranian New Wave cinema and give a short review of Kiarostami's film "Five".

Filming
I filmed at a wide range of locations, some of which I decided not to use within my work. The visuals that I employed were to portray the open spaces and their landscapes, this allowed for clever innovations of movement alongside my ghostly figure. I experimented with the use of different cinematic techniques such as a slider for the end of my artefact. This particular movement tracks across a line of gravestones for improved composition, I wanted to see whether or not that I could set the slider up at an awkward angle to give the effect of elevation as if the young soldier was being sucked up to heaven. There are a few shots that I captured which I ended up not using, an over the head shot of the soldier gently clenching his fist whilst holding a poppy. This shot would be repeated and reversed to give off an effect of a crumpled poppy transforming into a polished artefact. Reasons as to why it wasn’t used linked into my intentions for the narrative; I feel it would have given my project a linear narrative when I was trying to create a film that consisted of a mixture of linear and non-linear. Here is a link to my blog where I talk about the shooting of the ghostly past, similar to “Five” 

Editing
My chosen rhythmic editing style works well to convey a theme of remembrance, the superimpositions helped to make my piece reflective. The voice over in my sketchbook brings everything together, outlining the process of development and it helps the viewer understand my thought process and intentions for my forthcoming graduation piece. The use of key frames allows for the young officer to fade in and out of the frame, which enhances the ghostly effect, which was achieved by adjusting the opacity. One particular section that I think worked well is positioned at the end of the short film "Never Forget, Always Remember" A young soldier is portrayed in the frame; he fades in as he salutes the graves for his fellow crew, once the hand moves down to his side, the second shot fades in over the top and the camera slides across to the right.

Another element of my film that worked well involved the sound effects and style of music choice. The mixing of the sound for the spitfire worked well as I was able to add de-noise to adjust my audio clips and music to make them consistent, this was then heavily carried out within my sketchbook for the narration. I carried out a short interview piece with Nathaniel Marklew where I got him to ask about the process of my film. The audio, which we recorded, helped to shape the script for my sketchbook film.

What didn't go well?

Planning
I dedicated the majority of my time for experimenting with different shooting techniques for my short. The idea for my sketchbook film was to create a 5-minute film that would portray the process of creating a historical documentary. This would include artefacts like postcards, photographs, archive footage, digital images, site plans, contacts made, locations visited and much more. I feel like the voice over for my sketchbook could have been cut down, as my film is around 6 minutes. However, I feel that if I had chopped it down, I could have missed an important element of the explanation for production. 

Filming
The cards of my camera filled up pretty quickly so I spent a lot of time transferring footage and charging my batteries. This time could have been channelled more efficiently towards experimenting with lighting setups which would make the piece more visually stunning and opened up an opportunity to film in one of the old air-raid shelters. I plan to use the air-raid location for my forthcoming graduation piece. For the re-wilding section of my grad film, I decided to set up my own wildlife set as a way to entice a wide variety of wildlife to the surrounding area where I was filming. The majority of my time was taken up by set up for this and moving around the area to achieve different angles.

Editing
Whilst editing the short film, I decided that I wanted to color grade my footage to give a winter/autumn feel and resemble the seasons of when it was shot, changing the different Lumetri color wheels/curves to achieve the perfect color palette. I spent a lot of time looking for a specific orchestral music track that could set the scene for my film right from the get-go. I wanted an emotional/sad orchestral instrumental piece of music, which would reflect the art of war as well as lifting the room with a calming melody.

What I would do differently?

Planning
I would plan to use fewer locations for my filming, this would allow myself to become more focused on the task but I had an urge to experiment within different locations and try my best to create a film which would question the viewer's perceptions as to what was happening.

Filming
I would like to use a dolly, I think this could have been a lot more effective towards the end scene, the slider was pretty small in scale, restricting the movement across the screen. I think I could have shown the young soldier entering the graveyard; the dolly could have tracked the soldier up to the gate and followed them along the gravel path up to the gravestones. I created my own go pro rig, which allowed myself to place the camera on the car and film the soldier out in front but stability was an issue.

Editing
For the editing of the short film, if I had more uniforms I would have liked to have superimposed three different characters in front of the gravestones at the end to give the effect that more than one soldier has come to pay his/her respects to their fellow crew.

Conclusion
In conclusion, I am proud of the artefact that I have created for my research and experimentation module, I feel like the visuals, music, editing style, costume and props all help to portray my intended theme of remembrance. I feel like the end shot of the officer walking around the graveyard and saluting on screen helps to achieve the intended twist for my film, which is that the ghostly figure is remembering others around him; whilst at the same time, we are remembering an officer through the opaque figure.

The sketchbook film works as a short film to show my thought process for this particular module. Displaying the research, inspirational sources, and experimentation that I employed through my research and touches upon the idea for my graduation piece.

Here is a link to my blog with everything labeled for my Research and Experimentation module: https://lukecurnopca.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Film%20301

Bibliography – Films

Five (2003). Directed by Abbas Kiarostami: Iran

The Glen Miller Story (1954). Directed by Anthony Mann. NYC, Universal-International

Film 301 - Shooting for my Artefact

Monday 20th November 2017                Research and Experimentation     Lectures: Kaz, Dan, Andy

Cinematic techniques used for my artefact film

For my artefact film, my short film primarily consists of locked of camera shots, using the art of long takes as a way to portray a young soldiers journey as he walks across the moorland scape.

For the middle of the film I wanted a fast paced montage which would consist of references towards my intended theme of remembrance.

Here are a few screen grabs from the footage for the middle of my artefact film 

(screenshots taken using preview)

Holding a Poppy out in front - adjusting the opacity to give a ghostly effect

Walking towards the air-raid shelter, about to take a Poppy out of my inside coat pocket

For the ending of the film I opted to use a slider, however, as I had never used this piece of equipment I was unaware of the amount of space that it covered. The idea was great and once everything was put into motion, I feel like the transition of shot to shot worked well once they were superimposed over one another. The weather on the day was great as well, slightly overcast with a cool breeze which meant that my uniform wouldn't flap about.

Here are a few behind the scenes shots from shooting on location at the graveyard 

(all of these shots were taken using my phone). 

Slider kit that was employed 

Slider (Wide angled Sigma lens 10-15mm)

Adjusting the slider head and the height of the slider legs

Dressed up ready for the shoot - On location at the graveyard. 

Film 301 - Famous Visitor to Harrowbeer

Sunday 12th November 2017         Research and Experimentation      Lecturers: Kaz, Dan, Andy

The Glenn Miller Story - 1954

For my graduation film, I am going to have a section which illustrates a few famous stars who visited Harrowbeer Airfield during its time of use. Glenn Miller was one of the famous people to visit the station, after years of hard work and determination, he formed his own band and his own arrangements. I wanted to look into this further and stumbled upon the 1954 American film "Glenn Miller Story" (The Glenn Miller Story, 1954) which was directed by Anthony Mann. The film stars James Stewart as Glenn Miller and June Allyson who plays his wife called Helen Miller, but before she was called Helen Burger.

The film details the life of Glenn and how he went from an audition, writing his own arrangements for which lead to himself finding the right sound and forming his own band, who over time became one of the most successful groups of the band era. They became famous for one of their biggest songs in America, titled "Moonlight Serenade" He has it all, a beautiful wife, his own band, money, a family but he enlists and gives up his fame and success in order to entertain the troops, there was a great scene where they were onset during World War II.

I paid close attention to the way that video clips and stills of newspapers were being overlayed, it helped to illustrate the story of how Glenn Miller's band became such a hit, thinking of this film as a historical piece which consists of the rise and fall of Glenn Miller and his band. I particularly liked the section of the film where we see Glenn playing alongside Louis Armstrong and the color rapidly changes in a consistent cycle across the screen. I felt like this looked considerably vibrant, not only that but it was a very effective way of making the band who were positioned in the foreground, stand out from the background.

References
The Glenn Miller Story. (1954). [film] United States: Universal-International.

Film 301 - Iranian New Wave Cinema

Thursday 9th November 2017            Research and Experimentation     Lecturer: Kaz, Dan, Andy

The work of Abbas Kiarostami

Iranian New Wave Cinema - Five 2003  - pays homage to Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu

We watched a short film that was directed by Abbas Kiarostami Five (Five, 2003), a film which consists of 5 different long takes, with the themes of water, nature, and animals. I felt that this abstract piece of work was very interesting and I would like to have a go at implementing the ideas of long take and fixed camera angles into my research and experimentation module submission.What's unique about this piece of work is that it revolved heavily around fixed camera shots and visuals for the first 4 long takes. The short consisted of 5 sections which I have broken down below;

1). Sea waves close in towards the shore. we watch a piece of driftwood being swept along the beach, the force of the waves break the wood but we carry on spectating to see if the two bits of wood become connected and aligned within the frame. 

2). Wide angled shot which portrays the sea in the background, the consistent flow of waves and in the foreground, we witness passer by's. I felt like this shot, in particular, consisted of multiple layers, I also liked the way that there is an empty frame towards the end of the frame which we haven't seen up till now. 

3). At first glance, I thought that the animals were seals, I liked the transition changes through changing the saturation which fades us into the next shot as well as bleaching the ocean out. Particularly liked the ripple effect of the waves as they change course, visible in the background when the saturation adjustments take place. 

4). A wide-angle shot which portrays a group of ducks waddling in front of the screen, side to side, strange foley noises created to replicate the movement of the animals along the sand.  

5). Unlike the 4 shots previous, this long take revolves heavily around the sound design, we hear the animals and can see a small ripple of water which moves from the center of the screen to the top of the frame. About 3/4 of the way through this we can visibly see that the object that has been reflected in the moon, this then cuts out to a wide angled shot of the sea at Dawn.

Here is an image from the film Five (2003) - Long Take No.3

Here is a film that I created alongside a few students in response to Five called One Filling, I edited this piece with the intention of experimenting with sound distortion and color correction.

One Filling from Luke Curno on Vimeo.

References

Five. (2003). [film] The Caspian Sea in Iran and Spain: Kimstim.

Film 301 - Ghostly Past

Monday 6th November 2017         Research and Experimentation       Lecturers: Kaz, Dan, Andy

Ghostly Past

Over the past week I have been researching into the different kinds of Uniforms that fit my Great Coat that I bought whilst out at Davidstow Airfield, which portrays 2 and a half rings on the shoulders. I decided that I wanted to dress up and look the part for the test shots as I could get a flavour for the costume design and how the colour would show up on a wide angled camera.

Here is a screen grab of myself dressed up as a Squadron Leader

For the shoot on the moorland I visited the RAF Harrowbeer Archives, Michael the owner lent myself an Officer's Hat with a cloth peak as well as an RAF kit bag which I stuffed with Camo netting and bean bags. I discovered that the coat that I bought at Davidstow would have belonged to a Squadron Leader, enhanced by the badges.

Whilst on the moors, I used my Nikon D3300 with my sigma wide angled lens ranging between 15-20mm, I set the camera up on the tripod to film a 20 second clip where there would be no movement within the frame. Then I would let the camera roll for a second time as I walk across the screen, I would then layer both pieces of footage over each other in the edit and then I would change the opacity to make myself look like a ghost walking across the screen.

Here are a few screen grabs from my overlay experiment

I had the idea of stitching together footage I had filmed of a spitfire at the Harrowbeer Airfield event, I then filmed myself pretending that I was tracking the plane in the sky, changing the opacity again meant that I looked like a ghost from the past.

As well as the moorland shots, I experimented with the gravestones and graveyard, a panning shot which tracked across the gravestones of a crew who crashed, I took still images of the gravestones and then superimposed them onto the footage, creating freeze frames but adding consistency to the movement of the frames.

Here is a screen grab to show the experiment with the graveyard and gravestones

I have decided that for my Research and Experimentation module, that I want to create a short film to do with Rememberance Day. I shall create the character of a young soldier who once worked in the RAF force and was posted at RAF Harrowbeer. Another shot idea that I have come up with will involve footage of myself holding a poppy in my hand, clenching it tightly in my fist, but I will overlay this shot with another shot where I drop the Poppy onto the floor. 

After testing out different kind of shots I have been thinking about a way to connotate the idea of a film about a soldier who is being remembered while remembering others. For the final shot of the film I want to use a slider for two shots, the first shot will be static portraying myself saluting soldiers graves. This will be overlayed with a slider shot which will slide across the graves so the frame will transform from a static shot into a consistent movement. 

Film 301 - Moorland Re-Wilding Shoot

Friday 3rd November 2017       Research and Experimentation       Lectures: Kaz, Dan, Andy

Moorland Re-Wilding Shoot

For this filming shoot, I have partnered up with a student on my course who has a key interest in sound recording, while I await the birds, he will be set up with a Parabolic microphone nearby to capture the surrounding atmosphere. The location although perfect for my nature filmmaking, it wasn't the best for sound recording as the moorland spot was just off of the main road, which meant that the mic would constantly pick up the sound of the cars as they went on by.

I decided upon embarking into the outdoors to test out and experiment with other ways to film my footage for the rewilding section of my graduation film which will consist of a variety of different shots which can be cut together to create a fast-paced rhythmic montage. 

A week previous I accompanied a bird ringer who I have known for many years, specializing within this niche, monitoring and reporting his findings to the British Trust for Ornithology. He would first set up the nets which are where the birds would fly into the net and get caught up in the netting, but they would be unharmed. In order to attract the species of birds, he would place speakers in the middle on the floor of the netting which would play the audio track of the birds that he was trying to capture.

Here are some behind the scenes shots from the bird ringing (taken on my phone).

I have downloaded and mixed together to create an audio track which has a duration of an hour, I hope to place this using my phone and placing it into a waterproof bag, chance to experiment with different ways of attracting nature to increase my chances of success. I would like to add that I shall not be using a net of any sort as I want to capture the birds on their flight paths through the treetops.

Here is a link to a blog post which goes into more detail about the setup for the shoot and the process for creating my wildlife set.

Film 301 - Graduation Film Checklist

Graduation Film Check List

Topic - "The History of RAF Harrowbeer Airfield"

Research

• Contacts
• RAF Harrowbeer Archives - History, Artifacts, Site Tour, Buildings etc.
• RAF Archives - Stills, Footage and Site Maps
• Imperial War Museum - Stills and Footage
• Local Historians - Postcards
• Plymouth University Music Student

Film

• Storyboard
• Script
• Actors and Personnel
• Recce and Risk Assessment 
• Photoshop Overlays - Cockpit, Disused Site Buildings, Credits
• DSLR Montage Footage
• Aerodrome Tour - Building Remains
• Cyclist Marathon 
• Wildlife Sequence - Ground Nesting Birds, Horses, Sheep etc. 

• Gopro - Imitate the taxi-ing of a spitfire along the runway

Miscellaneous

• Website - Production Process, Online Presence 
• Operations Record Book and Squadron Manual
• Budget - Drone, Bicycle, and RAF Jeep
• Contact Sheet - Location Scouting 
• Props - Gooseneck Flares, Gas Mask

Music

• Period Music - Ideally to be looped

Sound

• Voice Over - Narration, Interviews and Vox Pops
• Transport - Bicycle, Jeep, Spitfire, Fire Truck, Cyclists, Trucks
• Air Raid Siren
• Walking
• Ambience
• Wildlife - Birds, Horses, Sheep
• Battleground Sound

The duration of my chosen film will amount towards 12 minutes

Film 301 - Designing a Wildlife Set

Monday 30th October 2017         Research and Experimentation      Lecturers: Kaz, Dan, Andy

Designing a Wildlife Set

As filmmakers we are always using our initiatives to build the sets for our small production films, whether it is a small or wide area, this will be utilised for the filming of a specific scene or atmospheric piece. I have been researching into the different kinds of setups that wildlife photographers create for their intended captures, they are always one step ahead of the wildlife and know exactly how to time the shot. My intentions for this shoot was to experiment with camouflage gear, using a hide to be able to blend into the surrounding area of my location. I wanted to capture footage of garden birds at ground level as they feed on the seed that I have placed around the tree trunks.

Any footage that I capture of the horses, birds or other species of wildlife, I will plan to use for the ending for my graduation film where I will be talking about the re-wilding of the World War 2 airfield known as RAF Harrowbeer. I want to portray the different kinds of wildlife that have taken residence on this stretch of moorland outside of the aerodrome. 

For this shoot I used my Nikon D3300 with a 500mm lens to enable myself to sit far back behind a tree as I watch my subject, this way I was able to get a wider viewing of my surroundings in the woodlands where I was situated. I laid out bird seed along the floor around my intended filming location and I set up 2 fat balls either side of the tree trunks, pushing them into the crevices to ensure that they were in fact secure. 

After an hour or so I managed to capture a few birds as they were returning back through the woods on their flight path, one bird in particular payed close attention to my camouflage gear as I lay beside a tree trunk keeping a watchful eye on the trees ahead. 

The camouflage tent I was inside whilst laying on the floor with a beanbag for supporting the camera and reducing the chances of any camera shake. 

Photo taken using my phone

Just like with the film that I edited "Fired up Punk Energy", I have had the idea of overlaying footage on top of each other to portray different species of wildlife at the same time in 1 particular location, I would like to play around with the footage and layering the birds and horse footage ontop of each other and moving them so that they cover the whole frame of the woodlands. Then I could change the opacity of the horses by making them brighter and it would hopefully create a ghost like effect for my film. 

Film 301 - Obstruction Films

Saturday 28th October 2017       Research and Experimentation      Lectures: Kaz, Dan, Andy

Obstruction Film - Seal Time and Fired up Punk Energy 

I wanted to experiment with having characters within a short film but without using actual people or actors. The face of the piece would be the narration of the young seal and his mother as they are filmed inland within a North Cornish spot. 

With my keen passion for wildlife filmmaking, I decided to create a short film where I would re-create the voices of the wildlife to put a spin on my previous work. A filmmaker within a group that I am associated within has aloud myself to use his footage of seals in a local inland spot on the North Cornish coast as long as I credit him for his filming. 

The short film follows the life of a young seal as he wonders around his habitat in search for a source of food and his mother but what's to come is nothing but surprising for the viewer, washed away by the brutal force of the oceans current. 

A link to my short film Seal Time which can be located on my Vimeo Channel in response to our Obstruction task.

Research and Experimentation - Seal Time from Luke Curno on Vimeo.

I also created another short film to support my presentation for our research and experimentation module "Fired up Punk Energy".

Research and Experimentation - Fired up Punk Energy from Luke Curno on Vimeo.

I go into more detail about this film within another blogpost, which outlines the intentions for this particular experiment

Film 301 - Fired up Punk Energy

Thursday 25th October 2017      Research and Experimentation    Lecturers: Kaz, Dan, Andy

Fired up Punk Energy

For this module I partnered up with Aidan Wright. Aidan and I came up with some ideas which we wanted to experiment with for our research and experimentation module. After comparing notes we merged the ideas in order to create an abstract piece of work. Aidan's main focus would be the history of different kinds of masks, he wanted to create an abstract film that included him dressing up as an elf, he wanted to explore graffiti that was already at the location, some of his friends had told him about a Pentagram that they had found and he wanted to explore this and make use of it for his film. He got this inspiration from Sherlock Homes and old black and white films he has watched which feature shadows.

My idea would be to try and re-create the underground bunkers where the soldiers would have spent most of their lives during the second world war. With the footage that we both collected, my aim would be to create a fast-paced montage, it would portray movement inside the dark tunnels, reflecting the kind of imagery we would see in documentaries i.e. the urgency for soldiers as they flee for their lives underground.

For the shoot, we used a Canon 600D, Manfrotto tripod, 4x led lights, smoke bombs, matches, spray paint, masks, elf suit, tin cans and much more, although space was extremely limited inside this chamber, we made use of the LEDs by walking with them held by our sides to create a light source for the top of the frame as we ventured through. Whilst filming the pentagram we set LED lights around the subject along the floor to create a torchlight effect.

We set off harmless smoke bombs inside the small chambers with the intention of capturing the smoke as it seeps through the brickwork interior and passes down the hallway. We would then run through the smoke and see how the light particles would show up through the camera lens.

Aidan decided to play around with an Elf costume just like in his second-year final film where he visited Paris and created an experimental piece. The red color from the costume worked with the red smoke bombs, blending him into the background as the smoke dispersed. Within the edit, by overlaying these shots we were able to give off an impressive merge effect especially with the settings of the opacity and hue saturation. The green also worked with the light bouncing from the costume and projecting onto the walls from the light source of the LED, linking towards his idea of shadows from black and white films that he has watched as part of his research for the module.

All photos were taken using my phone

For my research and experimentation module, I have decided to take a closer at the art of overlays within a film, looking into different ways that footage can be overlayed to drive a narrative or create tension for the viewer. In particular, I would like to experiment with creating my own short films that are above and beyond my normal interests of wildlife. I would like to dive into the deep end of documentary making, ranging from ww2 and other non-fictional pieces of work. 

Overall, the shoot was a success and we both achieved a wide variety of different shots which we can edit together for both of our ideas, unfortunately we didn't have any sound equipment within the chamber and so have decided to remove any on-camera sounds and decided by the aesthetic of the film that it could be used with the Prodigy song "Firestarter" and a few others (haven't been decided as of yet). 

This image was taken using Aidan's phone - These are just some of the props that were used to create the set design for our chosen experimental film.  

Here is a link to the final film which can be found on my Vimeo channel

 

Research and Experimentation - Fired up Punk Energy from Luke Curno on Vimeo.

Film 301 - B' Movies, Crime Reporter

Thursday 19th October 2017         Research and Experimentation       Lectures: Kaz, Dan, Andy

The Naked Kiss - 1964 - Written, Produced and Directed by Samuel Fuller - 1964. 

We watched the start of this film. We experience a fight between the actors, at the start of the film there is no dialogue but the narrative starts to unfold once the female actress talk. It is made clear through the element of money and the dialogue "I'm taking what is coming to me", we think that the dominant female actress is a prostitute. The cinematography throughout this confrontation feels slightly aggressive, the way the man is getting repeatedly smacked with the lady's bag. The shots are all handheld for this scene which makes it feel claustrophobic and I felt like we are experiencing the scene down the hallway from the mans POV. The Jazz music fits the fight scene well and leads to the long shot of her freshening up in front of a mirror as the title and cast appear.

Angelic Crime 2-minute film task 

The use for one location, which must include an internal monologue and consist of elements of diegetic sound. For myself and Aidan's film, we decided to use the tripod for some shots and the rest were handheld. Our chosen location was very dark with minimal lighting. We were going to try to re-create the intensity that you would get from a dark crime thriller.

We used the diegetic sounds of keyboard typing, chains, nails scrapping down walls, feet moving around the room, whispering like demons, heavy breathing, all to show that the character was distressed. The dialogue (internal monologue) would focus on what the reporter was thinking in his mind as he was typing up his notes to create a report on this missing man.

Here is the film that myself and Aidan filmed which I edited together to meet the requirements and brief given by the lecturers.

Filming by Luke Curno and Aidan Wright of PCA

Edited by Luke Curno of PCA

 
Research and Experimentation - Report of The Murder Express from Luke Curno on Vimeo.

Film 304 - Structure

Wednesday 18th October 2017             Contexts of Practice          Lecture: Lucy Leake

Structuring my dissertation

I have expanded on the ideas and topic for my dissertation, I have started to think about how I can link my film examples towards my chosen categories.

Film 301 - Life Aquatic

Tuesday 17th October 2017           Research and Experimentation            Lectures: Kaz, Dan, Andy

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), Directed by Wes Anderson.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, it was so inspiring to see the underwater shots, the set design blew my mind, the way that it was all set on board a ship. Whilst I was watching the film, I kept questioning whether this mythical shark even existed, we only see it at the end when everyone is reunited inside a model. As a wildlife cameraman, I was able to relate to the life of the oceanographer, the adventure and the locations re-enhanced the theme of life under the sea. The music links back to the 70's, we have classic David Bowie tracks that are played through the film but they are in Portugues right up until the end when we hear the original track from Bowie himself. The film itself cost around 25 million for production but they only made 35million for the film so they didn't make much profit. The key element that I loved about this film was the fact that it was a film about a crew of filmmakers making a film, in the style of a documentary.

Film 301 - Camera Techniques

Thursday 12th October 2017           Research and Experimentation      Lecturers: Kaz, Dan, Andy

Tracking Shots - The setting up and testing of a dolly track

We learned how to use the dolly track and then in the second part of the session we were asked to set up our own dolly and film a tracking shot of our choice. We were given 3 tasks to complete, a handheld shot, a tripod pan and a dolly shot. Although we had the whole afternoon, the dolly shot was difficult to perfect, there were many production issues as props were either in the shot or in the way of the character we were tracking. Keep the space around you as you film consistent, there has to be a high level of coordination between the crew and the subject your filming. Whilst on the dolly, the camera operator sits on a mounted chair, as they are maintaining the camera, another crew member must use the pulley to pull or push the cinematographer along the track.

Below are a few images of my group using the dolly track to achieve the task (images taken using my phone).  

Film 304 - Ideas Generation

Wednesday 11th October 2017                   Contexts of Practice                Lectures: Lucy Leake

Dissertation Ideas

Topic Question

How do directors evoke different emotional states of mind on their audience in war films?

Films to look at and watch;

Dunkirk - Dunkirk, 2017. [DVD] Christopher Nolan, UK: N/A.

Das Boot - Das Boot, 1998. [DVD] Wolfgang Petersen, Germany: Neue Constantin Film.

City of Life and Death - City of Life and Death, 2010. [DVD] Lu Chuan, China: Media Asia Distribution Ltd. China Film Group.

Fury - Fury, 2014. [DVD] David Ayer and Fritz Lang, United States: Columbia Pictures.

Areas for each film to pay close attention towards, camera angles, cinematography (lighting and color palette), editing, character development, music, and sound.

Give examples of what each category is, camera angles and give examples, lighting and give examples.

Film 301 - Amelie

Tuesday 10th October 2017              Research and Experimentation       Lecturers: Kaz, Dan, Andy

Magic Realism

Watched the 2001 film Amelie - Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. 

Consuming the film on screen, there are many elements of hyper-realism. The film itself felt like I was watching a fairytale. The editing is very fast paced, a bit like a montage, a long clip cut together with jump cuts in place to give a sense of urgency for our dominant female protagonist. We are given hints as to what is about to unfold, it's this idea of storytelling that makes us as the viewer engaged within the film and we want to carry on watching to find out what Amelie is up to. We're always questioning whether or not that this is actually happening. The set design is visually stunning and must have taken a lot of work, I always remember the crane shot, Amelie is on the bridge at the start of the film, she appears in the bottom left of the frame as we track her heading towards the bridge, the camera then inclines and pans overhead as she frees her fish into the nearby river. Finally, I feel like the film itself, although magical, it made me feel claustrophobic as there are a wide variety of close-ups used which helps to understand how our character is feeling towards the action that is taking place, I could only describe this as her being an innocent woman but with a devious mind. 

Amelie at a young age, holding the TV remote

Film 301 - Obstruction Task

Thursday 5th October 2017          Research and Experimentation      Lectures: Kaz, Dan, Andy 

Five Obstructions Task 

We watched a few bits from "The Five Obstructions", directed by Lars von Trier and Jorgen Leth. We were set the task of creating a 2-minute film of our choice, but we had to create our own obstructions. I decided to create my own film, I went with the theme of music and iconic rockers, I wanted to challenge my filming practice. 

Obstructions

Handheld, open space, isolation, no mains electricity, nowhere to live and the idea of featuring iconic rockers and cutting together sound bites from their live events. I was really pleased with what I created in such little time and the feedback was all positive when I presented this piece to my peers and lecturers.

A few shots of the behind the scenes from the shoot for Iconic Rockers

Iconic Rockers - Research and Experimentation from Luke Curno on Vimeo.

Negotiated Project - 9th May

Tuesday 9th May 2017                              Negotiated Project                    Kaz Rahman

The Secret Canvas

I have filmed the footage for my film "The Secret Canvas" at my chosen location, the garden house in Buckland Monachorum. Overall the shoot went well, everything was carefully thought out and there were contingencies in place incase I didn't achieve the shots that I had planned.

The camera that I chose to use was the Cannon 7D as well as a f1.8 macro lens. My main idea for the film was to focus around depth of field, paying close attention to the equipment she uses.

I wanted to show the fine details of the actress painting and focus on the space around her, creating a small space within a big space - helping to emulate the wider space around my actress.

A Go Pro was attached to an overhead ceiling light to give a birds eye view, watching over her as she worked.  After I shot the opening sequence, I gave the actress free will as I did not want to interrupt her natural flow of painting - exposing her in her own habitat working was key and I did not want to stifle this.  I used my initiative and asked the actress to paint another picture so that I could shoot the cut away shots for the final scene.

I shot some cut away shots after the shoot to include at the beginning to imitate her point of view whilst looking out of the window at the garden.

I have now started thinking about the type of sounds that would be useful to bring the visuals alive.

Room ambience for ghostly feel.
Blinds Shutting
Birds in the garden
Placing a lantern down and releasing the handle
Painting/scraping
Match coming out of a box
Striking a match
Sound of jam jar - swirling brush in the water.
Possibility of wind
Moving things around in a box
Getting out equipment
Table ready to work on
Pouring water from jug into jam jar
Twisting lids from acrylic paints
Twisting lid off jam jar
Ripping plastic off canvas to begin work
Squeaky noise of pipette (white substance)

Here is my final film - The Secret Canvas

Negotiated Project - The Secret Canvas from Luke Curno on Vimeo.

Negotiated Project - 2nd May

Tuesday 2nd May 2017                 Negotiated Project              Kaz Rahman and Dom Deane

Set Film Tasks

Over the past few weeks I have worked on a majority of groups films as tests for our negotiated project film. Although I have a script for my chosen idea, I wanted to experience different pieces of equipment and how they differ from one another. Throughout the shoots I have worked closely with the Cannon C100 but with all my tests I have decided that this is not the right camera to use for my film. My idea will be focused around the art of depth of field so I have decided that I want to use a Cannon 7D for my shoot.

Below are links to a few films that I have worked on as a director, sound recordist, scriptwriter, cinematographer as well as an actor for the film Skeleton.

Played the roles of an Actor and Director's assistant

Negotiated Project - Skeleton from Luke Curno on Vimeo.

Played the roles of Director and Set Design

Negotiated Project - Backdrop Experiment from Luke Curno on Vimeo.

Played the roles of Director, Dubber, Writer, Cinematographer, Editor and Actor


Negotiated Project - UNKNOWN from Luke Curno on Vimeo.

Individual Film Installation
The following day we were asked to individually think of a creative way to showcase our films. At first I thought about playing my film on my phone and positioning a small mirror in front of the phone on an angle. I had the idea in order to watch the film you would have to look through the mirror as the image was being reflected off. However, due to the time and resources available I was unable to make this possible so I went for a set design which would tie into my films subject matter. I started to create a set which looked like a polluted water source, I started off by cutting out a cardboard stand for my phone to stand on. Next I got a label and wrote down the title for my film "UNKNOWN" which stood out and I smudged it to make it seem unclear as to what the words were reading. I made a use of an energy drink can, cutting out the logo for the brand "Emerge", I thought that the word emerge could signify that something was emerging out of the polluted water source within the video. The final touches for the set was created using off cuts of card, tissue paper, energy drink cans and finally a sprinkle of tea leaves to make the set look messy and artsy.

Polluted Set Design (without the phone) - Taken on my phone

The film installation task has got myself thinking about various ways to illustrate my final project piece for my negotiated project module. As my film is going to be about the secret life of a painter I would like to set the scene of a painters work-space. The idea of placing the film on a screen and placing lots of different tools which painters use. The idea of having cloth placed over the screen as if an artist pulls of material to reveal a shiny new canvas. The tools will make up a semi circle around the film that is on the screen. Positioned underneath the film I will have a blank piece of paper, giving the impression that the film has been created on a canvas. I have also come up with the idea of having a sketch of a painting up on my phone which is placed behind the screen as if the artist glances over for inspiration whilst working. Finally I thought a good way to open up the film would be to place a clapper over the screen with the name of the film, camera operator, location just to add a bit of purpose to the presentation. 

A few ideas from research

Reference for Illustrations

Clapperboard Image - Photojojo, (2017), 17 Best ideas about Movie Gift [ONLINE]. Available at: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=clever+film+installations&safe=strict&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjwvYGK4NPTAhUKbRQKHZfLBI4Q_AUICigB&biw=1100&bih=913#safe=strict&tbm=isch&q=clever+ways+to+show+films&imgrc=u4xmyAmDB6PSZM: [Accessed 3 May 2017].

Camera Prints -  Photojojo, (2017), Instax Mini 90 Instant Camera [ONLINE]. Available at: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=clever+film+installations&safe=strict&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjwvYGK4NPTAhUKbRQKHZfLBI4Q_AUICigB&biw=1100&bih=913#safe=strict&tbm=isch&q=clever+ways+to+show+films&imgrc=mVH8jdg3WiTmzM: [Accessed 3 May 2017].

Professional Future - BAFI203

Tuesday 2nd May 2017                              Professional Future                              Lucy Leake

Summary for the Professional Futures module

At the start of the module we were given the task of creating a short IDENT which was based around the art college that we attend, Plymouth College of Art.

Below you will find my attempt at making an Ident for PCAD.

PCA Ident - Professional Futures (PCAD) from Luke Curno on Vimeo.

We were then all given the chance to take on clients to work with, however my clients never responded back so I decided to find my own through my business WildTimes TV.

Through the module I worked closely with the owner for Dockyard discs and had a few attempts at creating a promotional video for his company which could be used as a call to action for his company. However, it was any ordinary video, we made the voice over out of lyrics from lots of different hits, whilst re-creating the famous album art from the Sex Pistols "Never mind the Bollocks"

Below is the promotional video for Dockyard Discs

 
Dockyard Discs Promo - Come into my shop from Luke Curno on Vimeo.

I am currently working on shooting for "Plymouth Comedy Club" where I will be creating 2 short promotional videos for 2 of there main events, one being the children comedy club and second for the adults comedy session. So far I have shot 1 section of the events and the next is scheduled further through June.

A few of my other projects that I am working on are for individual companies i.e. a lady who paints on rocks and a short film for a retired freelance filmmaker out on the coast whilst he surveys wildlife in Urban areas.

Lastly for this unit I updated all of my social media platforms including Linkedin, Online Portfolio, Facebook, Instagram and my Vimeo which now has an up to date documentation of all of my University projects and submissions which have clearly been labelled, which has led to future work for the summer.

Negotiated Project - 26th April

Wednesday 26th April 2017                         Negotiated Project           Kaz Rahman and Dom Deane

Template for a Production Shot List 

Here are my pre-production notes for my negotiated project film

Mindmap for ideas (Secret life of a painter)

Further ideas and research

These shots are in no particular order;

Tracking shot through the archway by the wildlife pond – Pulling back down the lawn. 

Wide angled shot to establish the scene, portraying the house and the garden, after a few seconds the camera will begin to slowly pan in towards the artist in the window who is looking outside for inspiration.

A low angled shot portraying in the foreground a burning cigarette on a table, in the background the face of the painter but in shadow, so you can’t see their face. The smoke and cast shadows will relate back to my cinematic style as Film Noir. 

Over the shoulder shot – Watching the artist the whole time as they paint this picture

Tracking shot, low along the ground - Reveals the painter at work with the glass behind the predominant subject.

Close up to watch the painter dipping their paint brush in lots of different color paints  - Crosscut this motion in between the shots of her painting on the canvas, change the opacity so it blends over the top of another image. An idea that painting is made up of lots of different layers.

A variety of shots needed to create a montage to show the artist at work – setting up, canvas prep, painting, looking around the room etc.

A few illustrations for ideas of shooting location and camera angles 

Possible floor plan

I came across a video which had a modern cinematic style which I thought in contrast I could change to give my chosen film a cinematic film noir look. Shot on a canon 500D with a 50mm f1.8 lens. 

Notes - Pull in focus close to the canvas material - hand movement of the painter brushing on the canvas. 

Shot List Planned Shot List - The Secret life of a Canvas

Intro Shot

Camera at back of room. Wide angled shot, she walks in front of window towards the window (maybe the view is blurred? Black & white and in focus or coloured and blurred? and shuts it and pulls curtain over. * to show the outside and how it is viewed by her and then by shutting the curtain and window it shows she is isolated. She moves left and right looking out to view - Her head looks up towards the trees in the distance, next the camera cuts to a shot of a tree blowing in the wind. Next her head moves down towards the ground - Followed by a few close ups of flowers and insects.

SOUNDS - birds/breeze, creaky floorboards and breathing

20/30 seconds.

Next, a Wide Angled shot of the house, flowers in the foreground. Shows the location and shows the view looking back at the house, get a real sense for the scale of the room outside.

SOUNDS - birds/breeze - MUCH LOUDER

10 seconds


3) Montage of cutaway shots outside in the gardens - of bees landing on flowers/tree blowing in the breeze.

4) Shot of her setting her painting tools out - She gets her outfit ready, puts on an apron.

5) Close up of her reaching for the paint brushes

6) Over the shoulder shot - behind her with canvas in front of her as she slowly brings the paintbrush up to the canvas in front of her, slow motion effect to show how elegant she is with the canvas - Idea she is testing out her brushstroke.

7) Tracking shot following her hand towards her chosen paint colour, depth of field.

8) Montage of shots - turn the footage around to imitate that she is painting on the floor or on top of a table.

9) Swirling the paint brush in water - played at normal speed but gets slower and slower to mimic her energy for work.

10) Mid shot to show her working in the background, moves away from camera to paint and work but the water and paint is in the foreground.

11) Repeat the montage from above, first off her overalls and arm, next show her hand and the motion of painting and lastly show the canvas that she is painting.

12) Close up - Dabbing the paint brush into a solution

13) High angle - looking down on her with the painting to the side

14) Extreme close up on the canvas

15) Silhouette of her painting

Possible Film Ending

Reaches into her pocket for a match box, pulls out a matchstick, shakes and drops it on the floor - Black screen hear the box being pulled out again and loud sound of a match being struck - Dramatic ending for the film.

A reference that I have used to gather my shot list is from a Youtube video called “The Painter”. I really liked the cinematic style approach towards this piece, the music is so subtle yet it creates a lovely melody for the motion of the paint brush whilst creating art.

Short Film - The Painter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nN_zJW2EdM

References

Mujtaba Hussain Shah. (2017). Short Film - The Painter. [Online Video]. 30 September 2009. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nN_zJW2EdM. [Accessed: 23 May 2017].