Thursday, 10 December 2009
'Breathless' (1960), Jean Luc Godard. Key Moments.
- The huge cross fade as we transition to the car.
- The loud car horn as a car flies by.
- The change in music when he shoots the sun.
- When he drives away from the roadworks.
- After he has shot the policeman the music stops but then builds again as he runs away.
Apologies for the video. Its the only one I could embed.
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
Ingma Bergman 'Wild Strawberries'
Excellent tension building.
Key moments :
- The cut to the wide angle shot after the heartbeat builds.
- The moment the odd looking man drops down dead.
- When the coffin falls from the cart and it cuts to the bodies arm hanging out of the coffin.
- The cut back to him in bed after he has nearly been dragged into the coffin by himself.
Sunday, 6 December 2009
"Chance and its functions"
- Zero point cinematic style, trying to cover everything without trying.
- Editing has a key role in writing film.
- The accidental sometimes creates better shots than planning.
- Classic Hollywood continuity.
- Sound film creates stars and becomes 'star-driven'.
- Sound film removes the 'accidental' defect.
- Describes 'rebellion' against many film movements including Cinema Verite and Dogme 95.
- Says all these wanted to take film away from the Hollywood sound and studio films and get films back into the real world, on location.
- 'Nightmail' (1936) was controlled. It was a fully promotional 'documentary'. The actors were told to rock back and forth to make it look as though they were on a train but in fact they were in a studio.
- 'Louisiana Story' (1948) consisted of beautiful, flowing external shots with music, but when inside dealing with dialogue the everything is wooden and static.
- 'Jazz Dance' (1954) used sounds to make it look like it was all synch-sound but was in fact non-synch. This allowed the cameraman to be less weighed down by the huge heavy equipment.
- Editing has a key role in writing film.
- The accidental sometimes creates better shots than planning.
- Classic Hollywood continuity.
- Sound film creates stars and becomes 'star-driven'.
- Sound film removes the 'accidental' defect.
- Describes 'rebellion' against many film movements including Cinema Verite and Dogme 95.
- Says all these wanted to take film away from the Hollywood sound and studio films and get films back into the real world, on location.
- 'Nightmail' (1936) was controlled. It was a fully promotional 'documentary'. The actors were told to rock back and forth to make it look as though they were on a train but in fact they were in a studio.
- 'Louisiana Story' (1948) consisted of beautiful, flowing external shots with music, but when inside dealing with dialogue the everything is wooden and static.
- 'Jazz Dance' (1954) used sounds to make it look like it was all synch-sound but was in fact non-synch. This allowed the cameraman to be less weighed down by the huge heavy equipment.
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
'Requiem for a Dream'
I couldn't find the exact scene I wanted but thought this trailer resembles it very well. There is a sequence toward the end of the film which I believe is edited superbly and is purely emotive. There are sharp fast cuts between all the main characters in the film that expresses their downward spiral to toward the low depression of life. I personally think this is one of the greatest films ever made and by a director I really admire, Darren Aronofsky.
Key skills an elements in editing.
- Constructing an edit is a PROCESS not just A-Z, it all needs developing.
- Use an idea or strategy and stick to it so there is a sense of styl and it flows.
- Always remember that we are working toward a whole sequence not just a couple of shots.
- 'Moments' are the 'dramatic tension' around which an editor works.
- Always mark in and mark out, never drag and drop....work to the frame.
- Walter Murch - He completes 1.5 cuts per day. Spend the majority of time looking and thinking.
- We are directing the film for a second time. We are the 'new eye' exclusively dealing with cinematic space.
- Vsevolod Pudovkin used a range of shots thus bringing editing further and developing cinematic space.
- Use an idea or strategy and stick to it so there is a sense of styl and it flows.
- Always remember that we are working toward a whole sequence not just a couple of shots.
- 'Moments' are the 'dramatic tension' around which an editor works.
- Always mark in and mark out, never drag and drop....work to the frame.
- Walter Murch - He completes 1.5 cuts per day. Spend the majority of time looking and thinking.
- We are directing the film for a second time. We are the 'new eye' exclusively dealing with cinematic space.
- Vsevolod Pudovkin used a range of shots thus bringing editing further and developing cinematic space.
Monday, 30 November 2009
'Annie Hall'
- Made the same year as 'Star Wars' and beat it to oscar for best film.
- Woody Allen has made around a film per year since 1971.
- 'Annie Hall' is exceptionally edited.
- Diane Keaton was the much used wide range actressof the era e.g. Meg Ryan (1990's) and Charlize Theron (2000's). She was also dating Woody Allen at the time the film was made.
- The average length of cuts when this film was made was 4-7 seconds. 'Annie Hall' had an average cut of 20 seconds.
- The film is very dialogue based. Unlike some of his other films there aren't many
slapstick gags but if there are gags its usually the in the dialogue.
- Only slapstick gag is when he sneezes into the bag of cocaine and it goes everywhere.
- Ralph Rosenbloom wrote a great editing book after editing 'Annie Hall' including a great chapter about editing the film.
- Woody Allen always includes a budget for re-filming as he considers editing to be massively important to his films.
- Non-linear narrative (doesn't begin and run to the end, it is a mixed up narrative).
- Woody Allen has made around a film per year since 1971.
- 'Annie Hall' is exceptionally edited.
- Diane Keaton was the much used wide range actressof the era e.g. Meg Ryan (1990's) and Charlize Theron (2000's). She was also dating Woody Allen at the time the film was made.
- The average length of cuts when this film was made was 4-7 seconds. 'Annie Hall' had an average cut of 20 seconds.
- The film is very dialogue based. Unlike some of his other films there aren't many
slapstick gags but if there are gags its usually the in the dialogue.
- Only slapstick gag is when he sneezes into the bag of cocaine and it goes everywhere.
- Ralph Rosenbloom wrote a great editing book after editing 'Annie Hall' including a great chapter about editing the film.
- Woody Allen always includes a budget for re-filming as he considers editing to be massively important to his films.
- Non-linear narrative (doesn't begin and run to the end, it is a mixed up narrative).
Sunday, 22 November 2009
'What Time is it There?' - Tsai Ming-liang.
1. I believe the director uses long takes without continuity cutting but allowing character movement for several reasons. Firstly it focuses the audiences attention onto the characters within the shot forcing the viewer to form feelings and opinions on what is happening in shot. This also gives us the time to take in the beauty of some of the films excellent cinematography. Saying this also relates to the realistic settings, yet almost surreal happenings within the film. The beautiful shots and emotional narrative allow us to forgive the odd plot, it almost makes the film better as with a more sensible plot this film may not have worked.
The film can be strongly compared and contrasted with the Dogme 95 Vow of Chastity as it follows some rules such as, being shot on location as far as I can tell, not showing any temporal or geographical alienation (even though the film deals with time), not including any superficial actions and also including fully diagetic sound. However it does break rules. All shots are not handheld as they are far too steady and props are brought into some scenes, like the bag at the end. Could we say Tsai has made his own 'manifesto-based' approach?
2. Tsai's approach allows the film to be framed equisietly as the cinematographer has the time and lack of camera movement to produce memorable shots. We do see characters go out of shot, such as the father in the beginning sequence. This only intrigues the viewer more as our natural urge is to know what they are doing out of shot and we wait for them, anticipating their return. This also creates fantastic opportunities to show depth on screen. Again in he opening sequence, the father comes to the foreground sitting at the table but gets up later to go smoke a cigarette in the background at the back door. The framing of the shot allows the director to do this. I think the opening and end scenes in the film are superb, so subtle but yet they have such a huge effect.
3. I spoke about depth a little above but would like to talk about the end scenes. There's the shot when the girl is sat by the lake side close to the camera as her bag floats by in the background in a very tranquil manner. It allows us to really feel the surroundings. And of course the final shot as the old man (interpreted by myself as the boys dead father) walks toward the big wheel. This has a great dynamic composition as the man gradually shrinks as he nears the huge wheel. The wheel I believe can be interpreted as either a watch face or that everything returns to normal/moves on.
4. I am undecided as whether Tsai's film can be described as 'minimalist'. The aesthetic ambition of the film has been described as 'Beckettian' refering to the work of the minimalist writer Samuel Beckett. All the characters are similar in their isolation and frustration in life, enduring joyless sexual acts changing nothing and their body language and expressions leave the characters motives open to interpretation. The inclusion of slapstick humour may also be considered to be minimalist (being comedy in its simplest form). Yet Tsai also has a real sense of innovation within the piece. The well executed photography and composition of shots, the takes which as they are long need to be cut at the exact moment when needed and the subject of time can hardly be considered minimalist. I believe the subject matter of the piece also has a sense 'surrealism' with 'unbreakable' watches and a character obsessed with the Parisian time although he resides in Taipei.
5. I am unsure about question five but believe there is only one light source in each shot, although I dont fully understand what is asked.
6. If what I said in question five is correct then I would say the light changes the feel of the shot because it doesn't change as a character walks into different areas of the shot and becomes darker or lighter. It gives a very natural, real feel.
7. I felt the lighting was very natural. It may have a duller blue feel but this works in the winter, isolated setting and as a representation of the characters. I couldnt imagine the film would have worked with warmer, bolder colours and climates.
The film can be strongly compared and contrasted with the Dogme 95 Vow of Chastity as it follows some rules such as, being shot on location as far as I can tell, not showing any temporal or geographical alienation (even though the film deals with time), not including any superficial actions and also including fully diagetic sound. However it does break rules. All shots are not handheld as they are far too steady and props are brought into some scenes, like the bag at the end. Could we say Tsai has made his own 'manifesto-based' approach?
2. Tsai's approach allows the film to be framed equisietly as the cinematographer has the time and lack of camera movement to produce memorable shots. We do see characters go out of shot, such as the father in the beginning sequence. This only intrigues the viewer more as our natural urge is to know what they are doing out of shot and we wait for them, anticipating their return. This also creates fantastic opportunities to show depth on screen. Again in he opening sequence, the father comes to the foreground sitting at the table but gets up later to go smoke a cigarette in the background at the back door. The framing of the shot allows the director to do this. I think the opening and end scenes in the film are superb, so subtle but yet they have such a huge effect.
3. I spoke about depth a little above but would like to talk about the end scenes. There's the shot when the girl is sat by the lake side close to the camera as her bag floats by in the background in a very tranquil manner. It allows us to really feel the surroundings. And of course the final shot as the old man (interpreted by myself as the boys dead father) walks toward the big wheel. This has a great dynamic composition as the man gradually shrinks as he nears the huge wheel. The wheel I believe can be interpreted as either a watch face or that everything returns to normal/moves on.
4. I am undecided as whether Tsai's film can be described as 'minimalist'. The aesthetic ambition of the film has been described as 'Beckettian' refering to the work of the minimalist writer Samuel Beckett. All the characters are similar in their isolation and frustration in life, enduring joyless sexual acts changing nothing and their body language and expressions leave the characters motives open to interpretation. The inclusion of slapstick humour may also be considered to be minimalist (being comedy in its simplest form). Yet Tsai also has a real sense of innovation within the piece. The well executed photography and composition of shots, the takes which as they are long need to be cut at the exact moment when needed and the subject of time can hardly be considered minimalist. I believe the subject matter of the piece also has a sense 'surrealism' with 'unbreakable' watches and a character obsessed with the Parisian time although he resides in Taipei.
5. I am unsure about question five but believe there is only one light source in each shot, although I dont fully understand what is asked.
6. If what I said in question five is correct then I would say the light changes the feel of the shot because it doesn't change as a character walks into different areas of the shot and becomes darker or lighter. It gives a very natural, real feel.
7. I felt the lighting was very natural. It may have a duller blue feel but this works in the winter, isolated setting and as a representation of the characters. I couldnt imagine the film would have worked with warmer, bolder colours and climates.
Saturday, 21 November 2009
'Relativity', What and why I edited the scene the way I did.
With this scene I really wanted to express the relationship between the mother and daughter. I did this by barely including the boyfriend at all. When we hear his voice I stay with the mother and daughter as they share a joke and he gets angry about it. I increased the volume on this to reinforce his anger at the daughter. I used a close-up on the mothers eyes as she rolls them to show she is playing with her daughter, siding with her and telling her to ignore him. The moment that the boyfriend is shown had to be included as this was the only footage I had so the audience can recognise his presence in the room. I then revert back to only showing the boyfriends lips kissing the mothers head. As he does this he slams the daughters cereal on the desk, completely ignoring her. I increased the sound on this to intensify this fact.
Finally when the mother gets up to leave and the daughter grabs her hand I chose to use close-ups as I believe this expresses the daughters emotionally need for the mother significantly. The shots through the fish bowl after this increase these emotions by magnifying the daughters need for some attention and the mothers rejection.
Finally when the mother gets up to leave and the daughter grabs her hand I chose to use close-ups as I believe this expresses the daughters emotionally need for the mother significantly. The shots through the fish bowl after this increase these emotions by magnifying the daughters need for some attention and the mothers rejection.
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