Video Montage

ES5 ARTS

Sorry I'm not here today. This lesson I would like you to one of the following two tasks.

Task 1: On Word, in your groups, complete the following, and then send it to me at stgeorgesnorthfilm@gmail.com (don't copy/paste the address, it will deformat):

Include:
1. The names of the people in your group.
2. The title of your video montage.
3. A brief of around 100 words, explaining what you are going to do. eg We are going to take the theme of nature, and represent this in a video montage. We will layer a series of close ups and extreme close ups.
4. What camera and editing equipment you will use.

Task 2: Practical
If you do have your camera with you, please continue filming. Remember:
- close up and extreme close ups
- very short clips
- think about the light, and careful for shadows.

If you do not have your camera here, research: this means you need to find a range of different places to find images that fit your theme. In the example I showed you, there were close ups from books, from web pages, from mobile phone scenes, from photographs.

eg Mariana Viola group: close ups from social networking sites, from photos, tweets... handwriting - or write, in Mariana's handwriting, write words or symbols, shapes, colours, associated with Mariana. 


Be creative and innovative, and I look forward to developing this project next week.

DF

Top 10 Tips for Better Filming

Here are your basics:

"Film is only as good as the worst part of the take..."

1. Use a tripod or a solid camera support.
2. Television is a closeup medium. Rely on medium closeups and closeups for your basic visual material. Wide shots should only be used for establishing (and re-establishing) shots.
3. Eliminate shots that don't contribute to the project's goals…
4. Cut away from a shot as soon as the basic information is conveyed…
5. Don’t zoom and pan.
6. Beware of white on white..
7. Good audio is never camera audio.
8. Select instrumental music as background, not vocal.
9. In jokes are not funny to a wider audience. That means they are not funny.
10. Voice over? Yes.

Documentary production:
A: Establish location.
B: Shoot interviews against a relevant background.
C: Label your footage.

Run Lola Run (1995)

Time to watch a film.

Sweets For Tweets

Tweet reviews

A 140 character film review is no easy thing, even for a plotless Michael Bay film. This lesson, whilst writing your proper professional reviews, I'll be offering a Jelly Baby prize for any successful Tweet Review to ib_film.

Format: Name of film in full. Plot synopsis. Your rating and opinion.


Dull but appropriate example:
UNKNOWN. Liam Neeson tries to put his life back together after waking from a coma. Better than TAKEN, improves as it goes on. 6/10

Film Reviews

Key Question: Can I write a professional film review?

First things first. All film reviews are, by definition, subjective. That is to say, there is no right or wrong answer: a review is an opinion, even though some people's opinions are more valued than others: Roger Ebert and Mark Kermode are two highly regarded critics, and both are famously opinionated.

Your task: To write a professional film review for a film of your choice. 

I will publish the best 3-4 on this blog for next week.

A conventional structure to a film review is as follows. You can follow this, or vary from the formula. (Note, Language B students: the English Paper 2 exam has had a film review as a quesion in 3 of the last 6 years, so this might be extra useful...)

1. Credits
Offer the imdb basics, without being too dull. You can assume your audience are film goers, but might need reminders about who's who. You don't need to explain who Tom Hanks or Angelina Jolie are, but you might need to remind readers that Paul Giamatti is the guy from Sideways.

2. Synopsis of the plot
- Harder than it seems. A good synopsis is extremely difficult, and a good challenge of your written skills.
- Spoilers: if you are going to give away key plot moments, you must offer a spoiler alert. A good review, like a good trailer, will offer an indication of the plots, themes and tone of the film without spoiling the film (which doesn't just man giving away the ending).
3. Characters, Genre and Theme
- This might well be included within the synopsis, but you should expand on the role of the main characters: what is their 'journey', if you like. In films like Transformers, which have absolutely no narrative whatsoever, this can be very difficult as your characters just go from one place to another for no reason whatsoever, other than the fact that they are being paid.

4. Your opinions, comparisons and conclusions
- Finally, offer your opinion and set the film in the wider context through comparison. Ideally, finish on a witty final line.
If you loved Black Swan, then you'll probably enjoy... Or, If you liked Black Swan, you should hire Aronovsky's Requiem For A Dream (2001).

OK. Get reviewing.

La Dignidad de los Nadies

After watching the documentary, La Dignidad de los Nadies, please answer the following questions. Your can respond as a comment, or send me an email.


. Tell me something you learned during the documentary.

. How did this film make you feel: about Argentina, about your own place in society...?

. Which story, issue or character did you find most interesting? Explain you answer in as much detail as you can.

. For you, what was the main message of the film?

. Could anyone make a documentary like this? If not, what did this film maker do to produce this documentary?

. If you could make a documentary on one thing in Argentina, what would you make the film about? What would be the first question you would ask 'the people'?

Documentary

Dear All

This lesson, and next week, we are going to watch this documentary: La Dignidad de los Nadies. It's a powerful film, and hard work in some ways, but I strongly believe in the following two things:

1. That we watch films that you might not watch - or might not choose to watch - at home.


2. That the films we watch invite you to reflect.

So. No car chases, explosions, 3D, Robert Pattinson nor Megan Fox... you can get those things at your local Hoyts.

I'm looking forward to hearing what you make of this film.

Monday 6th June

Poli 3 C y E

I haven't had any emails with film posters, so obviously you all need to continue and complete this work. If you have done the posters, continue your storyboards. 

All information needed is on the blog. 

DF

Task: To storyboard the opening of your film

By now you should have finished your film posters. If I don't receive an email, I have to assume you have done no work, and this will obviously be reflected in your grades which I will enter on Tuesday morning. Thank you. 

Based on the 'your film' (the one you have made/are making the poster for), your next task is to storyboard the opening to your film.

Storyboard extract from Mad Men

A storyboard is like a graphic novel - a brief sketch of how your film will look. You don't need to draw every shot, just the key shots in the sequence.

These are used on set to represent each 'take'.

Here's a great example from Mad Men.

For this you need nothing more than paper and a pen, and ideally some artistic ability. Obviously in the room there are some excellent artists, but stickmen and a bit of shading is fine too.

Basics: Camera angle, camera distance, and light 

- You should aim to sketch 16 - 32 images;

- In each image, try to indicate camera angle, distance and light;

- Start with an establishing shot;

- Think carefully about how you will introduce your main character(s);

- Don't forget to add close ups;

- Include any camera instructions or direction you like;

- Feel free to include dialogue in bubbles, like a comic.

There are a number of other resources on the IB Film blog, click Storyboard.

Good luck, enjoy and work hard.

Storyboards

Cover: Poli 3 Monday 30th May


Task: Email me your film posters. This is a requirement. If this is not done, I have to assume you have done no work. Once those posters are completed, continue with your storyboards.  


Any problems, leave a comment on the blog and I'll get back to you. 


Task: To storyboard the opening of your film

By now you should have finished your film posters. If I don't receive an email, I have to assume you have done no work, and this will obviously be reflected in your grades which I will enter on Tuesday morning. Thank you. 

Based on the 'your film' (the one you have made/are making the poster for), your next task is to storyboard the opening to your film.

Storyboard extract from Mad Men

A storyboard is like a graphic novel - a brief sketch of how your film will look. You don't need to draw every shot, just the key shots in the sequence.

These are used on set to represent each 'take'.

Here's a great example from Mad Men.

For this you need nothing more than paper and a pen, and ideally some artistic ability. Obviously in the room there are some excellent artists, but stickmen and a bit of shading is fine too.

Basics: Camera angle, camera distance, and light 
- You should aim to sketch 16 - 32 images;
- In each image, try to indicate camera angle, distance and light;
- Start with an establishing shot;
- Think carefully about how you will introduce your main character(s);
- Don't forget to add close ups;
- Include any camera instructions or direction you like;
- Feel free to include dialogue in bubbles, like a comic.

There are a number of other resources on the IB Film blog, click Storyboard.

Good luck, enjoy and work hard.

C y E Poli 3 Monday 16th May

Dear Poli 3

As you probably know, I am off work until Monday 30th. I don't want to bore you with details, but I also don't want any mis-information, so I have included a brief explanation as to why I am away on this post: Absence and M.E. Read or ignore as you wish!

Today's lesson.

Task 1: Complete your Argentine social realism film posters, as posted here. Share your photoshop skills. Please email me your completed image with a brief evaluation, and I'll put the best posters on the blog. One you've done that...

Task 2: Go to the previous post, or click this: Great Film Characters.  

Enjoy. I look forward to seeing your final work.

Great Film Characters

If you have a few minutes to spare having completed your film posters, leave a quick comment on your favourite, or top 3, characters from films.

I'll set the ball rolling with:

1. Tyler Durden in Fight Club (Brad Pitt). Greatest ever anti-ego. 

Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden

2. Mark Hunter aka DJ Hard Harry in Pump Up The Volume
Tragic, dated, very 80s, terrible, but I was 13 at the time and thought Christian Slater was the king.

Christian Slater as underground DJ Hard Harry

3. Pablo Sandoval in El Secreto de sus Ojos
Some of the greatest scenes and lines in recent cinema. Magical.

Guillermo Francella as Pablo Sandoval 

OK. Your turn.

Film Posters

Creative Task

You've got a small budget, 6 months, a decent digital camera, a lot of passion and a cast of whoever you like. What contemporary Argentine drama would you make, and what important social issue in Argentine society would you focus on?

Think about the following: setting, narrative, main characters, cast, the ending and message of the film.

Your task is to make a film poster for your film. Use whatever software you like to complete your poster, but you should be able to explain each of your choices in depth.

By the end of next lesson, you should be ready to email me your poster as an attachment. Send your mail with the subject: FILM POSTER

Here's a couple of good examples from this genre. Each of these posters fits the genre of social realism, and each explores an issue relevant to contemporary society:

Mundo Grua

Introduction to Argentine New Realism, or Social Realism.

In pairs, answer the following questions about Mundo Grua.

Analytical

1. Why did Trapero make this film?

2. Write a very brief synopsis of the plot. Make sure you describein full the main character. This films is the story of...

3. What issues or themes was Trapero drawing attention to in this film?

4. What themes are represented by some of the minor characters? Claudio, Rulo's son Adriana, the woman who runs the kiosco. Torres, the foreman at the construction site?

Post your responses as comment on this entry. Comment as anonymous, but write your names.

Heading: MUNDO GRUA

Expressionism: Best Shots

Key question:

Who are the better cinema students Poli 3 or ES5?

Best of Poli 3

Delfi Prosen: Great choice of location where the light is good, and where the lines of the brick wall distort the perception of the subject extremely effectively. All credit to the cinematography, not the App. The hand, top right, reaching out for or holding on to the subject creates an interesting implied narratove. Excellent work. 9/10 



Delif Prosen: A key idea in German Expressionism is to connect the setting to the character. Here the clouds mirror the character's state of mind. The low angle distorts the image effectively, and the lines of the wall add depth to the image. Excellent. 8/10 

 Best of ES5

Pau Blanco Borner: Great use of contrasts in black and white, the light is superb here and the positioning between the two characters creates an excellent implied narrative. 9/10 

Pablo Green. Suffering.
Director: Lucas Grasso.
Excellent. 8/10 

Great use of this interior frame, which plays with the light and depth
of your subject. Excellent use of shadows, and a nice low angle to
emphasise the importance of your subject. Very good. 8/10

From previous session, on shot types.

Good use of close up, and the position of the ring on the paths suggests
that the characters can move in one of thredirections. Symbolism. Nice.  7/10



Lovely close up and use of symbolism. 7/10

Camera: The Basics

Camera Shots: The Basics
IB Profile: Communicators

Right - a ten second introduction to the basic camera shots, and then off you go to shoot. Remember, here are the levels of success I'm looking for:

S:  to take each of the basic shot types.
M: to include a coherent narrative to your shots. 
D:  to include shots that clearly reference German Expressionism

The main three elements of camera shots are:
1. Angle
2. Distance
3. Shot

Christopher Doyle, breaking the rules: the framing of these characters, particularly the distance between them, plays with the conventional two shot,as does the man's shadow. It also twists the audience's expectation of the over-the-shoulder shot. We are not told which character's persepctive we 'should' see the scene from.



A conventional two shot, but from an extreme low angle, that demands that the audience understand the significance and power of these characters. However, in the context of this scene of Se7en, it only serves to emphasise the difficulty of their task to catch the killer.



Your task:
Working in groups of 3-4, take the following shots:
1. Low angle, long shot

2. High angle, long shot.

3. An establishing shot.
4. A close up.
5. A two shot.

6. An extreme close up. 

7. Another extreme close up.
8... (any others you choose...)

Email your best shot to me, and I'll post the best on the blog.

German Expressionism

Key question: What influence does film history have on contemporary films?

Last week we looked at film history in an hour. Today, the theme is to make links between the history of cinema, one film movement - German Expressonism - and contemporary film. So...

German Expressionism from The Cabinet to the Closet:

Dr Cagliari in 1919 to Lady GaGa in 2010

So, what is Expressionism?

"Expressionism is a symbolic representation of a state of mind"



What is Expressionism?
A film form where a subjective feeling, rather than objective observation, is represented symbolically in forms such as shapes, colour, contrasts and subject matter.

Where and why did it start?
During the period of recovery following World War I, the German film industry was booming. However, because of the hard economic times, filmmakers found it difficult to create movies that could compare with the lush, extravagant features coming from Hollywood. German film makers developed their own style by using symbolism and set design, or mise-en-scène, to add mood and deeper meaning to their films and explore the darker psyche of the mind.

How would I know I was watching an Expressionist film?
These film are characterised by:
- highly stylized visuals
- strange asymmetrical camera angles
- atmospheric lighting
- non-diegetic sounds
- harsh contrasts between dark and light.
- shadows and silhouettes, which were often painted on to the set.

Many directors, such as Fritz Lang and F.W.Murnau were able to use these techniques in their own style, creating tension, fear, excitement and intense feelings in the audience throughout the movie or specific scenes.

Its purpose was to deepen the audience’s interaction with the film, combining technology and imaginative filming techniques in order to intensify the illusion of reality. The Expressionists supplanted reality with myth and fantasy in order to liberate visual perception from the other senses.



How did this change cinema?
The Expressionists practically reinvented the look of film in a number of ways:
- unusual editing rhythms (it was very hard to follow the plot due to this fact)
- respectively distorted sets
- exaggerated gestures
- weird or different camera angles
- the “camera unchained”, the term used for the camera now able to to move within the scene, which vastly increased the character's subjectivity.

The genres that have been especially influenced by Expressionism are, inevitably, the horror film and film noir.

What are the famous films and film makers?
Amongst the best remembered are films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Robert Weiner, 1920), Nosferatu (F.W. Murnau, 1922), Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927) and Sunrise (F.W. Murnau, 1927).

In conclusion, no other film genre of the 1920's was as innovative and influential as German Expressionism. It opened the world's eyes to the possibilities of filmmaking, and where an audience could be taken. It was very much a product of its time, and so flourished and declined in that 10 year period of social and economic change. But its influence lives on in terms of production aesthetics and audience-driven production decisions. Simply put, modern films would not be the same if it was not for the ground breaking achievement of German Expressionist cinema.

Edward Scissorhand (1990)

Where will I see the influence of German Expressionism in film now?
Film: any Film Noir, but Scorcese's Shutter Island (2010), Tim Burton's Edward Scissrohands (1990).
Music video: Lady GaGa's Alejandro clearly references the German Expressionist movement.





Sources:
Cooper, Max (2009) German Expressionism IB Film: Blog Entry
Bordwell, David & Thompson, Kristin (2001) Film Art: An Introduction New York: McGraw-Hill.
Budd, Mike (1990) The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press
Carroll, Noel (1990) The Philosophy of Horror, or Paradoxes of the Heart. London: Routledge
Jensen, Paul M. The Cinema of Fritz Lang, The International Film Guide Series. A.S. Barnes & Co, 1969.
Eisner, Lotte (1973) H. Murnau Le Terrain Vague, Paris, 1964, English translation, revised and enlarged. Martin Secker & Warburg Ltd, London
Cook, Pam (1985) The Cinema Book. BFI

History of Cinema

A Technological and Theoretical History of Cinema... in one hour!

Key question: Do you know your history of cinema?

Technological History


Ten Questions:
In pairs, how many of the following questions can you answer?

How did you do?
Hitchcock       D   Frame for frame perfection. Congratulations.
Tarantino       M   Excellent knowedge of Film History, but occassionally your application is dodgy.
Woody Allen   S   Some amazing early work is ruined by some later shockers. Find your quality again!
Ed Zwick         W  Basic all there, but a mainstream bias in your approach to film history 
Michael Bay   E   Disaster You don't know anything, and should probably go back to your cinema roots...

ES5 Favourite Films

Introduction: Culturas y Estéticas

Welcome Poli 3 to ARTS via Film Studies

Key Question: What do you know about cinema?
IB Profile: Open Minded


Starter: What was the best film you watched recently?


First task: Could you email me your ten of your favourite films to stgeorgesnorthfilms@gmail.com
I am going to wordle them... so send titles in English, spelt correctly, with NO GAPS between words in the title.


eg PulpFiction ShutterIsland

Second task: Your favourite 5 actors and actresses

Third task: As a comment, tell me one of your favourite film character is, and why...
eg Luke Skywalker, because my Dad always reminded me of Darth Vader.

Poli 3 Favourite Films

ES5 Actors