Friday 28 September 2012
Examples of short films from lecture 28/09/12
Here are the short films featured in today's session on short films and 'idea generation', including the three from Paris Je T'aime
Snap - a man 'steals' a camera, but displays the resulting photos at an exhibition
Sign Language - finding love and friendship in the unlikeliest of professions
The Exam - students should always remember that their teachers are often smarter than they are!
The Elevator - be careful which one you pick, because you never know what might be waiting when the doors swish open...
Madelaine - Elijah Wood meets his dream girl...or in this case, his nightmare.
Bastille - a husband falls back in love with his wife, a little too late.
Tulieres - avoid eye contact with strange women in Paris...and kids with pea-shooters...
Thursday 27 September 2012
AS Film - Mise en Scene: Lecture 3 - 28/09/12
Third and final week of focusing mainly on mise en scene.
Firstly the opening three minutes of Steven Spielberg's war epic, Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan - Director: Steven Spielberg (1998)
In this opening sequence Spielberg establishes a clear setting and location of an elderly man searching in a war cemetery The American and French flags clearly indicate that this is likely to be Normandy in the modern day. Attention should also be paid to the positioning of the various characters in relation to the older man and within the frame itself. The final shot of his bloodshot eyes brings together two other aspects of 'film form' - the extreme close up introduces cinematography, while the sound bridge of crashing waves alerts us that the action might be heading in a very different direction.
In the second sequence Spielberg places the audience directly on the beach and often, it seems, in the line of fire. Given the 'documentary' nature of the sequence, the desired 'realism' is maintained throughout with the mise en scene of quite literally 'hell on earth'. This is a sequence perfect for film studies with its combination of graphic imagery, hand-held camera work for verisimilitude (realism), montage editing (quick cuts from scene to scene) and surround sound - all combine to give the audience as close to the actual experience of what it was like on the morning of June 6th 1944. seen primarily through the eyes of Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) we see the death, destruction, bravery and barbarism of war in an all-too realistic representation.
Schindler's List - Director: Steven Spielberg (1993)
In telling the true story of Oskar Schindler, the German industrialist who saved hundreds of Jewish concentration camp prisoners, Spielberg decided to shoot the majority of his film in black and white. He did this mainly to preserve the sense of time in which the film is set (1940 to 1945), but also to make this particular sequence stand out. Schindler (Liam Neeson) witnesses from a hill top, the liquidation of the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland. His shock and bewilderment is heightened with the vision of a young girl in a red coat. She seems to 'ghost' through the streets, seemingly un-noticed by those around her, particularly the German soldiers whi are executing Jews en masse. Her eventual escape to a hiding place is the one solitary moment of relief in the sequence, although Spielberg was criticised by some for his use of how the little girl looks - almost angelic with her blonde ringlets and pretty face. Others saw it as a symbolism of hope. For film studies, it is a brave splash of colour in a very grey, hostile environment.
The Godfather - Director: Francis Ford Coppola (1972)
Acclaimed by many to be 'The Greatest Film Ever Made' (the author of this blog being amongst them), the opening sequence sets the tone of dark menace, respect and the undercurrent of violence which can erupt at any given moment. On the day of his daughter's wedding Don Vito Corleone, the most powerful Mafia boss of 1940s New York, is approached by a local undertaker, Bonasera, to help in a family matter concerning his own daughter.
Coppola employs a very low level lighting set up to establish mood and tension as the undertaker grovels in front of Corleone (Marlon Brando). The location of a dimly-lit study is accentuated by the dark wood paneling and the formal dinner suits.The playfulness of a cat who is on Corelone's lap provides only temporary relief as the Don exerts his power - not through violence, but sheer presence of his personality. Coppola places Corleone at times on the more 'weaker' right side of the frame, but always above the subservient Bonasera. Brando's representation of a Mafia boss who can strike fear just in a simple shrug of the shoulders or a hand gesture became one of THE iconic acting performances in cinema history.
Next week we shall be focusing primarily on cinematography - the use of the camera.
Firstly the opening three minutes of Steven Spielberg's war epic, Saving Private Ryan
In this opening sequence Spielberg establishes a clear setting and location of an elderly man searching in a war cemetery The American and French flags clearly indicate that this is likely to be Normandy in the modern day. Attention should also be paid to the positioning of the various characters in relation to the older man and within the frame itself. The final shot of his bloodshot eyes brings together two other aspects of 'film form' - the extreme close up introduces cinematography, while the sound bridge of crashing waves alerts us that the action might be heading in a very different direction.
In telling the true story of Oskar Schindler, the German industrialist who saved hundreds of Jewish concentration camp prisoners, Spielberg decided to shoot the majority of his film in black and white. He did this mainly to preserve the sense of time in which the film is set (1940 to 1945), but also to make this particular sequence stand out. Schindler (Liam Neeson) witnesses from a hill top, the liquidation of the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland. His shock and bewilderment is heightened with the vision of a young girl in a red coat. She seems to 'ghost' through the streets, seemingly un-noticed by those around her, particularly the German soldiers whi are executing Jews en masse. Her eventual escape to a hiding place is the one solitary moment of relief in the sequence, although Spielberg was criticised by some for his use of how the little girl looks - almost angelic with her blonde ringlets and pretty face. Others saw it as a symbolism of hope. For film studies, it is a brave splash of colour in a very grey, hostile environment.
Acclaimed by many to be 'The Greatest Film Ever Made' (the author of this blog being amongst them), the opening sequence sets the tone of dark menace, respect and the undercurrent of violence which can erupt at any given moment. On the day of his daughter's wedding Don Vito Corleone, the most powerful Mafia boss of 1940s New York, is approached by a local undertaker, Bonasera, to help in a family matter concerning his own daughter.
Coppola employs a very low level lighting set up to establish mood and tension as the undertaker grovels in front of Corleone (Marlon Brando). The location of a dimly-lit study is accentuated by the dark wood paneling and the formal dinner suits.The playfulness of a cat who is on Corelone's lap provides only temporary relief as the Don exerts his power - not through violence, but sheer presence of his personality. Coppola places Corleone at times on the more 'weaker' right side of the frame, but always above the subservient Bonasera. Brando's representation of a Mafia boss who can strike fear just in a simple shrug of the shoulders or a hand gesture became one of THE iconic acting performances in cinema history.
Next week we shall be focusing primarily on cinematography - the use of the camera.
Saturday 22 September 2012
AS Film - Short film examples from 21/09/12 lecture
Here are the short films I showed during Friday's session. Hopefully they will show the 'less is more' idea I was talking about.
I'll post up some more over the coming days and weeks to help you.
Just - Radiohead
The Werewolf Solution
Seconds
Love Sick
Office Love - my all-time favourite short film!
I'll post up some more over the coming days and weeks to help you.
Thursday 20 September 2012
AS Film - Mise en Scene: Lecture 2 - 21/09/12
In this blog you will find MP4 files for the film sequences studied in today's session, along with a few more which I did not have a chance to show.
Hopefully you are now looking at film in a different way - you should also be thinking of particular sequences I have now shown which you may wish to do for your coursework analysis. You need only do one, but having a few possibilities might not be a bad thing at this early stage.
The Ring (2002) director: Gore Verbinski
Note how Verbinski uses everyday props within the mise en scene, such as the phone, the television, the remote control and the fridge, to create tension and suspense. The setting and location are also typical horror conventions, which allows the audience to immediately respond to the intended meaning: two girls are alone in a house at night and it is raining...this may not end well! Finally note where Verbinski places the character of Katie in the frame before she ascends the stairs - why might this be significant? W shall also cover this particular shot in Week 4's look at Cinematography.
Forrest Gump (1994) director: Robert Zemeckis
In this opening sequence consider how Zemeckis uses a simple prop of a feather to track the 'action'. It floats from one character to another before settling on Forrest, who adds it to his collection - these are also important props which are used to tell his incredible story. Note how we first see Forrest placed at the edge of the frame at 1.23, as if the feather is searching out someone, but he does not yet have any importance.
Consider how the setting of 'small town America' represents possible meaning, along with Forrest's costume, particularly the worn out running shoes.
Don't Look Now (1973) director: Nicholas Roeg
Roeg's background as a painter is highlighted here with his constant use of the colour red in this disturbing and enigmatic opening sequence to his psychological horror film. Note also the significant use of water, the cross-cutting between shots of the little girl by the lake and the actions of her parents in the house (we shall consider cross-cutting in more detail when we look at Editing in Week 8), and the use of the red coat as costume.
Seven (1995) director: David Fincher
Fincher contrasts the two detectives, played by Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, by placing them at different heights, angles and positions within the frame, as both to try gain initial dominance over the other. The contrast is also extended to the mise en scene of costume and props, with Somerset, played by Freeman, being fastidious and minimal in his clothes, domestic environment and what he needs to be a detective. Mills, played by Pitt, in contrast, is wilder, brash and informal.
Bridget Jones' Diary (2001) director: Sharon Maquire
In this first sequence from the film, Bridget is initially seen as a independent young lady exiting from a taxi; however, within moments upon arrival at her mother''s middle class setting, she is transformed into a more awkward, self-conscious singleton, all through the choice of costume. Colin Firth's character, Mark, fares no better with the Christmas jumper from Hell.
Maquire's use of setting and costume helps to put the audience firmly inside Bridget's world of unhappy love affairs, unfulfilled dreams and a battle with nicotine, alcohol and her slimy boss.
The following credits sequence allows us another view of Bridget, at home, in her cosy pajamas, drinking wine alone, and waiting for a phone call which will never come. The setting here of a single room gives us the sense that Bridget is isolated from reality, even though her flat is in the middle of London and all its possibilities.
Hopefully you are now looking at film in a different way - you should also be thinking of particular sequences I have now shown which you may wish to do for your coursework analysis. You need only do one, but having a few possibilities might not be a bad thing at this early stage.
Note how Verbinski uses everyday props within the mise en scene, such as the phone, the television, the remote control and the fridge, to create tension and suspense. The setting and location are also typical horror conventions, which allows the audience to immediately respond to the intended meaning: two girls are alone in a house at night and it is raining...this may not end well! Finally note where Verbinski places the character of Katie in the frame before she ascends the stairs - why might this be significant? W shall also cover this particular shot in Week 4's look at Cinematography.
In this opening sequence consider how Zemeckis uses a simple prop of a feather to track the 'action'. It floats from one character to another before settling on Forrest, who adds it to his collection - these are also important props which are used to tell his incredible story. Note how we first see Forrest placed at the edge of the frame at 1.23, as if the feather is searching out someone, but he does not yet have any importance.
Consider how the setting of 'small town America' represents possible meaning, along with Forrest's costume, particularly the worn out running shoes.
Roeg's background as a painter is highlighted here with his constant use of the colour red in this disturbing and enigmatic opening sequence to his psychological horror film. Note also the significant use of water, the cross-cutting between shots of the little girl by the lake and the actions of her parents in the house (we shall consider cross-cutting in more detail when we look at Editing in Week 8), and the use of the red coat as costume.
Fincher contrasts the two detectives, played by Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, by placing them at different heights, angles and positions within the frame, as both to try gain initial dominance over the other. The contrast is also extended to the mise en scene of costume and props, with Somerset, played by Freeman, being fastidious and minimal in his clothes, domestic environment and what he needs to be a detective. Mills, played by Pitt, in contrast, is wilder, brash and informal.
In this first sequence from the film, Bridget is initially seen as a independent young lady exiting from a taxi; however, within moments upon arrival at her mother''s middle class setting, she is transformed into a more awkward, self-conscious singleton, all through the choice of costume. Colin Firth's character, Mark, fares no better with the Christmas jumper from Hell.
Maquire's use of setting and costume helps to put the audience firmly inside Bridget's world of unhappy love affairs, unfulfilled dreams and a battle with nicotine, alcohol and her slimy boss.
Thursday 13 September 2012
AS Film - Mise en Scene: Lecture 1 14/09/12
Welcome to the supporting teaching blog for your AS Film Studies.
In today's lesson we considered one of the major cinematic techniques - Mise en Scene. This, as you will remember, translates as "everything in the frame". Mise en Scene includes: setting, location, costume, props, lighting and character placement, and has a vitally important role in how meaning is constructed by film makers, and consequently understood by the audience.
In this blog entry you will find MP4 files of the sequences shown today.
William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, directed by Baz Lurhmann (1996).
Consider how Lurhmann provides a modern take on a classic play in order to engage the contemporary audience. This is achieved by its modern setting, costumes and props, while still retaining the original language. Note how the repeated visual motif of fire set up the violence ahead.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind, directed by Steven Spielberg (1977)
Think about how Spielberg shows both fear and wonderment of the alien contact, through the eyes of the mother and her son. Note how ordinary, everyday objects ,or props, take on a new life in this extraordinary setting. You should also note how Spielberg uses creative lighting techniques to endorse the meaning of the sequence.
28 Days Later, directed by Danny Boyle (2002)
A sequence full of meaning, which Boyle achieves with his creative use of a deserted London as a setting, the use of costume and props, together with how he places the main character within the various locations.
You may choose one of these sequences for your 1500 word coursework analysis. Other film sequences will be shown in the lectures the coming weeks which you can also choose from, as well as those which I did not show in the lessons.
IMPORTANT: You will be required to undertake a short 400-500 analysis of one of these three sequences as part of your initial review on the AS Film Studies course. This will help me assess your analytical and written skills in order to progress further onto this AS Level course.
Consider how directors use Mise en Scene in other films which you have watched.
More on Mise en Scene next week.
In today's lesson we considered one of the major cinematic techniques - Mise en Scene. This, as you will remember, translates as "everything in the frame". Mise en Scene includes: setting, location, costume, props, lighting and character placement, and has a vitally important role in how meaning is constructed by film makers, and consequently understood by the audience.
In this blog entry you will find MP4 files of the sequences shown today.
William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, directed by Baz Lurhmann (1996).
Consider how Lurhmann provides a modern take on a classic play in order to engage the contemporary audience. This is achieved by its modern setting, costumes and props, while still retaining the original language. Note how the repeated visual motif of fire set up the violence ahead.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind, directed by Steven Spielberg (1977)
Think about how Spielberg shows both fear and wonderment of the alien contact, through the eyes of the mother and her son. Note how ordinary, everyday objects ,or props, take on a new life in this extraordinary setting. You should also note how Spielberg uses creative lighting techniques to endorse the meaning of the sequence.
28 Days Later, directed by Danny Boyle (2002)
A sequence full of meaning, which Boyle achieves with his creative use of a deserted London as a setting, the use of costume and props, together with how he places the main character within the various locations.
You may choose one of these sequences for your 1500 word coursework analysis. Other film sequences will be shown in the lectures the coming weeks which you can also choose from, as well as those which I did not show in the lessons.
IMPORTANT: You will be required to undertake a short 400-500 analysis of one of these three sequences as part of your initial review on the AS Film Studies course. This will help me assess your analytical and written skills in order to progress further onto this AS Level course.
Consider how directors use Mise en Scene in other films which you have watched.
More on Mise en Scene next week.
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