Post 11: Media Language - Lighting 1 (Shape & Texture)

Lighting is a huge part of any film and can change the way a whole film is interpreted. Film Noir is ‘is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasise cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as stretching from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist cinematography.’

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_noir

Some examples of famous film noir films are Double Indemnity (1944), Touch of Evil (1958) and The Maltese Falcon (1941)

In film noir lighting is very important and can be used to create different effects. In black and white films lighting was more important than ever because it was emphasised more with the lack of colour. It also meant it was easier to create shadows and new and interesting ways to use them. There are two main ways to describe shadows; cast shadows and attached shadows.

Cast shadows are when a person on screen is partially illuminated because an object is blocking the light source, for example another person, door or blinds.

Attached shadows are when an object or someone’s features are partially illuminated due to something natural being in the way, for example, a hat or hair creating shadows on a face.

 

 

Here is our experiment where we tried to create the Venetian blind effect.

Lighting is very important when it comes to creating atmosphere and aspects of a character so to make sure we use the best effects on our film we researched other films to learn about how even subtle lighting enhances the story line. We had already watched the film Lolita earlier on in our research in to sexual grooming and looking back at it we realised how lighting had played a big role in creating our opinions of the characters. For example in this shot here Humbert is in a shadow cast by an object off screen (maybe Lolita’s sitting in the light from the window). This suggests to the audience that Lolita is an innocent character, whereas Humbert is secretive, confined and mysterious.

Other films which we looked at which are film noir films were Double Indemnity and Asphalt Jungle.

Double Indemnity- in this screen shot you can see a man who is standing facing a window; the shadow lines across his body are most likely to be coming from blinds across the window. This draws the audience’s attention to him and by doing so suggests that he is the more important out of the two men.

Asphalt Jungle- in this screen shot the main light source is evident as the overhead light is on screen creating mood and suggesting that because the characters have only got this light source focused over what they are doing that what they are doing is secretive. This is also suggested by the fat that apart from this light source the rest of the screen is darker suggesting that they are up to no good. There is a man sitting at the table whose hat blocks the light on his face which could show that he is an important character in this scene or that he is hiding something from the others.

Lighting can also change our sense of shape and texture, with Josef Von Sternberg -thought to of been one of the cinema's masters of film lighting, said "The proper use of light can embellish and dramatise every object." An example of this theory is shown through the clip Lemon by Hollis Frampton, by moving the light in various ways and focusing on various angles of the lemon, you are able to create what appears to be an entirely new object for the audience.  

Lemon - Hollis Frampton
 

After seeing this as a group we did two experiments changing shape and texture with light. 
 

 





Post 10: Script Feedback

Before we could officially complete our script we wanted to get feedback from our target audience. Throughout the process of writing and re-writing I had shown my friends, and coincidently people from our target audience, sections of the script and they had offered their opinions and views about what we had. However, because they hadn’t seen the entire script and because they are biased we didn’t only rely on their opinion. We then showed the finished script to a random sample of people in our target audience and collected their feedback. Once we had collected all the feedback we then discussed whether we should make additional changes to the script and to what parts.

Most of the feedback we received was positive with small suggestions like making sure the language used by the characters fit the age and class of people of a similar position. This meant we would have to go through the script changing phrasing and grammar to make it appear more realistic to the audience.

Another piece of feedback we received was that the ending was too clichéd and happy, with the bad guy being arrested, some of our target audience wanted an extra twist at the end. We thought about what we could add to shock the audience and agreed on the idea that Alan should be having a sexual relationship with his daughter. We hoped this would shock and appal the audience and on re-reading with an extra sentence added on the end all of our target audience agreed that they didn’t see it coming and that it ‘creeped us out’.

We tried to act on as much of the feedback that we could whilst trying to still keep as close to our ideas as possible in the hope that it would lead to a stronger final script.

 

Post 9: Script Workshop 2

After removing, adding and changing our script we are almost finished writing it. We made quite a few changes over the course of changing it in order to create the best script we could and one that would be most beneficial to telling the story and showing the different stages of sexual grooming. They also helped develop the characters and their relationships.

 

We developed the relationship between Alan and Sophie to make it seem more realistic to the audience by giving them a past, shown mainly through the montages. In discussions we agreed as a group that we didn’t want to make it as obvious that Alan is grooming Sophie as it had been in our AS and previous drafts so decided not to include any physical of sexualised scenes in the hopes of keeping the audience guessing. We used subtle hints to suggest what was going on, such as Alan putting his hand on her shoulder, but also to confuse the audience, for example the looks Sophie gives Alan suggest she has made up their relationship or that Alan sees her as a daughter. We also edited the dialog to make it not only seem more realistic but suggestive and open for interpretation into what they mean.

 

 

 

We also wanted to make sure the stages of grooming were well defined and visible to the audience. By doing this not only will it inform the audience on the stages of sexual grooming but it also shows the development of the characters and the story.

 

 

Another thing we changed was the language the characters use, when we originally wrote it we had used grammar and fully formed sentences but when people speak they don’t speak like that. We went through, especially the girl’s (Sophie and Paige) and changed their dialogue by using more ‘common’ words and adding ‘slag’ in to make it more realistic.

 

Once we had a complete script we sat down with our actors for a read-through, we recorded a few scenes to see what kind of set up would be best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R120aRCaXBc&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtQqcwJRYUE&feature=youtu.be

Throughout writing the script we have asked the opinions of our target audience and before it is finished we are now waiting to hear the feedback from them to make sure it sounds right, the story is understandable and easy to understand yet keeps them guessing and that they would find it interesting if they were going to watch the film.

Post 8; Script workshop 1

For our coursework we have been given the task of producing a short film. As a group we decided to continue with our opening from AS as we were really happy with the outcome and had come up with an original idea of focusing on sexual grooming.

We took our original script and used it as a starting point and worked out what we wanted to happen in the film. We each took responsibility for writing certain scenes, this worked well as it meant we got to put our own ideas into it, it also meant that we got the first draft done quicker than if we had all done all of it, leaving more time to redo it and make it better. We then sat and read through what we had so far, making suggestions and pointing out errors and mistakes which were inevitable.

Having all our different scenes together we were then able to discuss the characters and how they should be portrayed. We decided that Alan should be shown as a caring father and that the audience should be confused about whether he is grooming Sophie or if it's her imagination or even Alan’s imagination as the story would be told from his point of view.

When we were near completion we sent a copy of our script off to a BBC script writer, Dudi Appleton who is the writer for programmes such as silent witness. He read our script and sent back useful feedback which we will use to continue improving it.

Feedback from script writer- Dudi Appleton

This is a very well written script. It is very good indeed. CONGRATULATIONS!!! Here are some thoughts to make it excellent.

One line reviews – UP – A fatherless child finding a father and a childless man finding a child.

At the moment if one were to write a one line review it would read ‘A father seduces a friend of his daughters and gets caught.’

This doesn’t ask a lot of questions. As it stands it is more of an anecdote rather than a story (told in a linear fashion ie first this happened, then this, then that).

What is your script telling us? How is your script enlightening us? What is the expectation you are setting up with the audience?

For example the audience might be lead to believe it’s a story about sex, but it is really about power.

Try and tell the story so it is more compelling and put the story into the context of a genre. The story needs to be told in an unexpected way.

Somebody has to do something different to what we expect.

For example – in the feature film Hard Candy- what you thought was the story wasn’t (genre- thriller).

For example the dad is completely innocent. This would work if the dad’s role was more subtle. Sophie is the aggressor- but the audience are in the shoes of Sophie.

At the moment the ending doesn’t add anything.

No ending- it could simply be in a look eg between Sophie and the father or Sophie and Paige- this would ask more questions.

Also at this point we got three of our friends to sit and read through the script as if they were the actors in the film. We did this to ascertain its strengths and weaknesses before moving on with the next draft so we could work on improving them.

Over all as a group I think we worked well and as a result our script will be reflection of this.

Post 7; Researching Short Films and their use of editing

I decided to analyse a short film in order to see what kind of editing is used to create the most effective story line. It is also so I can develop a better understanding of the use of editing techniques that other short film makers use.

The short film I decided to analyse was Gunslingers by Regan Hall

The film is about' a young farmer fights to save the woman he loves from the grip of a jealous outsider'.


The use of editing in Gunslingers is quite interesting, hard cuts are frequently used through out the film with only a couple of dissolves to differ from them. The hard cuts are used to build the tension as the film progresses, this works very well when the two men are facing each other and are about to draw their pistols. The dissolves are also placed well as they are used when the woman in on screen and it is cut to another shot. The editing helps create the characters and their roles in the film, the soft dissolves show that the woman is helpless and kind while the hard cuts show the strength and power of the men.


I found this short film on the BBC Film Network
This link goes directly to the short film, Gunslingers.

Post 6: Media Language - Editing

Editing is a huge part of film making as well as media language. It is the process of going through captured footage and putting it together to form a scene or sequence. Films are judged on their editing, even if the audience doesn’t realise it. To make sure our film is as good as it can be we have researched different editing techniques with the intention of using a few of them to show our editing skills.

Kuleshov effect:

The Kuleshov Effect is a well-documented concept in film-making, discovered by Soviet film editor Lev Kuleshov in the 1920s. Kuleshov put a film together, showing the expression of an actor, edited together with a plate of soup, a dead woman, and a woman on a recliner. Audiences praised the subtle acting, showing an almost imperceptible expression of hunger, grief, or lust in turn. The reality, of course, is that the same clip of the actor's face was re-used, and the effect is created entirely by its superimposition with other images.
 Here is our groups first attempt at the Kuleshov effect: Kuleshov

 

Montage:

Montage literally translated from French is assembly, the process by which an editor takes two pieces of film of tape and combines them to emphasise their meaning. It is a method by which through two unrelated shots we may create a third and different meaning.

Here is an example of a montage from Battleship Potemkin.

As a group we where very interested in using a montage in our film to show the progression of time and the growing relationship between the characters.

Edwin Porter:

Edwin Porter was an early film pioneer and after his death is remembered as an important figure in motion picture history. As an early film maker he took ideas from others but instead of copping them tried to improve on what they had already achieved. In his film 'The Great Train Robbery', Porter used new and previously unseen editing techniques such as jump cuts, cross cutting and panning shots.

Here is an example of transparency editing from Slavko Vorkapich’s 1934 film The Furies

French New Wave:

The New Wave was a term coined by critics for a group of French filmmakers of the late 1950s and 1960s who were influenced by Italian Neorealism and classical Hollywood cinema. Although never a formally organized movement, the New Wave filmmakers were linked by their self-conscious rejection of the literary period pieces being made in France and written by novelists. They had a desire to shoot more current social issues on location, and their intention of experimenting with the film form. Some of the filming techniques within the new French Wave were natural lighting, the sharp contrast between black and white, alternative framing and the release of the camera from the tripod.

Post 5; Reseaching short film content C

In order to get the best grade I can I did some additional research into films that have the same themes as the one we are making. This would help influence our own script.

The first film I looked at was Trust.

 

Annie Cameron is 14 and lives in suburban Chicago, she has a good relationship with her family. On her birthday, her parents give her a laptop and when she meets Charlie in an online chat room, she establishes an instant connection with him. At first, Charlie tells her that he is sixteen years old. Over time, as the two bond by sending phone text messages and through instant messaging, he tells her his age is really 20, then 25. Annie dismisses these concerns as she believes they love each other. After three months of communicating electronically, Charlie invites Annie to meet him at the mall.

When Charlie appears, she discovers he is significantly older than he presented himself to be, appearing to be in his late thirties or early forties. Annie is upset about him having lied about his age, but still spends time with him after he compliments and sweet-talks her and convinces her to ignore their age difference. He then persuades her to go to a motel with him where he gets her to model lingerie and proceeds to have sex with her. All this is being secretly filmed by him.

After not hearing from him for a few days, Annie’s behavior starts to change towards those closest to her. Her best friend, who had seen her at the mall with an older man, is concerned and goes to tell the school counselor. The police arrive and take Annie away to talk to her about what happened. The FBI starts an investigation with the help of an unwilling Annie, who still believes Charlie loves her but because of the investigation has been scared off. The FBI gets Annie to contact Charlie so they can identify him but he figures out what they are doing and disconnects.

A few more days pass, and although Charlie has not been identified, DNA evidence proves he has done the same thing with other young girls who reported it to the police. This causes Annie to be devastated because she thought she was special, but after seeing pictures of the other girls, she feels betrayed, and she finally admits to herself, and to her hospital counselor, that she was raped.

After seeing a website where people where belittling the fact that she was raped Annie tries to commit suicide but is saved by her father. The family then slowly tries to rebuild their lives. As the end credits begin a home video is shown to reveal that Charlie is a high school professor who is married with a young son.

Trust shows the steps of grooming as well as what happens after it has been discovered. We are focusing on the steps of grooming and seeing them laid out as they were in Trust has given me ideas on how our group could incorporate them into our film.

These are two trailers for the film both focus on different aspects of the film; the first on the supposed security associated with the family and home and the second of the dangers of the internet.

 

The second film I looked at was The Lovely Bones.

14 year old Susie is viciously murdered by her neighbour in an underground den. She finds herself stuck between heaven and hell watching her family as they try and work out what happened to her whilst falling apart themselves.

This film, although isn’t about sexual grooming has aspects of it, when the neighbour (George Harvey) brings Susie down to his underground den he tries to seduce her, which the audience find out isn’t the first time he has done this. This twist shocks the audience and is what we hope to do with our own film.

This is the trailer for The Lovely Bones, it shows the effect sexual abuse and murder have on people, especially the family.

 

Post 4: Researching short film content B

As a group we decided that to gain a better understanding of how sexual groomers are portrayed we should look at other films and books that focused on the topic of sexual grooming. One book, turned film ,that we looked at was Lolita.

Lolita was originally a book by Vladimir Nabokov and was made into a film in 1962. It follows the life of a middle aged professor named Humbert Humbert who falls in love with his landlady’s flirtatious 14 year old daughter who he affectionately calls Lolita. When Lolita is sent to an all-girls summer camp Humbert returns to find a note from his land lady, Charlotte, stating that she has fallen in love with him and he must either leave or marry her which he does in order to stay close to Lolita.




After their honeymoon Charlotte finds Humbert’s diary in which he has written about his feelings towards Lolita, distraught, Charlotte runs out of the house and gets hit by a car and dies. Humbert goes and collects Lolita from camp and they begin traveling before settling into a new life. However they are met with questions about their relationship and Humberts ‘over protected daughter’. It ends with Lolita running away from Humbert. After several years she contacts him asking for money and he demands to know what happened to her and she tells him about Clare Quilty, who the audience see at the beginning of the film when Humbert goes to kill him.

Looking at this book and film has been extremely helpful to us as the story line is similar to what we what to achieve in our own film. Lolita is written from the point of the groomer, Humbert, and after doing lots of research, we have found is the only story written like this. As a group we had already come to the decision that as a twist we would write the script from the point of view of the groomer. The research into Lolita has also given us ideas about how to show the different stages of grooming. It also makes the audience wonder if what is happening on screen is actually happening due to the unreliable narrative.
 

 

From reading reviews I found that nearly everyone who had read the book had found themselves feeling sorry for or understanding the point of view of Humbert which is what we want to achieve.

 

Post 3; Researching short film content A

To insure our film plot was as accurate as possible we first did a lot of research into the subject of sexual grooming. Sexual grooming is a very serious subject and we wanted to portray it as accurately but at the same time as sensitively as we could.

To do this we interviewed our School Child Protection Officer to get a better idea of what actually goes on and who it affects. Not only did this interview open our eyes to how horrible grooming is but also to how it can be hidden so easily from people leaving the child helpless. We will use this information and the secondary research we got online to help us write a script that is as close to the truth as possible.

 

 

 

Here is a link to the interview with the School Child Protection Officer: Sound Cloud Sexual Grooming Interview 

 

In the interview the Child Protection Officer talked about what grooming is and how a groomer doesn’t just groom a child but their family and friends. They often portray themselves to be trustworthy and caring which makes their presence around the family and even more so the child unquestionable and normal.

He also mentions how very often the child in question doesn’t realise they are being groomed but believes that their family friend, uncle or someone else is just being caring and that the relationship is normal, because of this they don’t speak out about what is happening.

Our group learnt so much from this interview with the School Child Protection Officer which will help greatly when it comes to writing our script and making it as realistic as possible.

Post 2; How to write a good short film script

In our group we decided that we were going to continue with our idea for our opening sequence in AS. The plot is about a girl who is groomed by her best friend’s father, but unlike other films or accounts it would be told from the point of view of the groomer. It would show the different stages of grooming from gaining the victims trust to sexualising the relationship whilst appearing as if nothing is going on to the outside world.
 

Below are links to articles about making short films and summaries of what I have learnt from them.

http://www.slideshare.net/petefraser/short-film-making-tips

 

o   It’s all about the story line (utilize the genre’s conventions to maximise the films effect on the audience).

o   Plan out what you are going to film, story board, shot list.

o   Research the themes of your film and the kind of characters you will need.

o   Look into different locations; pick the one that is not only easiest to get to but most practical (sockets, light).

o   Know what props you need.

o   Make sure you know how to use the equipment (practice)

o   When you're editing do a rough cut first so you know where things are going.

o   Re-film/ record parts that aren’t right don’t leave bits that aren’t right.

o   Make sure there is no unnecessary footage (it’s a short film).

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/filmmaking/guide/introduction/what-makes-a-good-short

There are no specific rules to making a good short film.

o   Have an exciting and original ideas (avoid clichéd ideas and look at subjects from a different angle).

o   Have a strong script, develop and rewrite and get feedback from different people.

o   Get the best actors for the roles, don’t just pick friends.

o   Make sure everything is done to a high production value.

o   Keep it short

o   Make sure it has a strong beginning to get the audience’s attention.

o   Don’t repeat scenes.

o   Experiment with new techniques/ angles.

After reading these articles I now know what we need to focus on when it comes to making our film. I know that the script is a very important part of pre-production and that we need to make sure that it’s as good as it can be before we start to film. We also need to make sure we know what props we need and when we need them. Also the locations should be as realistic or as close to the real thing as we can get. I found out we should also make sure our idea is unique or at least looked at from another angle (such as the groomer point of view).