New Wave Film and Evaluation

New Wave Film

Evaluation

In my new wave film I tried to incorporate emotion and passion in different elements. Love, lust and loss and life all shot in handheld camera, slightly shaky and real locations to provide the classic connotations of the British New Wave. I used found footage and real people(not actors) to create the illusion of new wave, and social constructs. My video was slightly randomised shots however with a range of close ups, mid shots, playing about with lots of different speeds.

I decided to not use the voiceover and my original thoughts for the film due to not having the equipment and the actors to use multiple people, the voiceover would've made it a lot better and created more of a new wave feel however I decided against only due to the type of equipment I had.

I duplicated a few shots the main one I kept reusing was the train going past, I used this in a transition type way of on to the next scene as everything is so quiet . There is a slight narrative to it but you can interpret new wave in any way you want as long as you can back it up with your own evidence. But my way of interpreting it was a boy that had lost his first love, and was dealing with it in many different ways. Inspired by the New wave films I had researched with have many different interpretations. 

The sequence is randomised so I could incorporate the variety of shots and different types of new wave styles. I think what went well was the lighting in the film is very natural and you can tell it's handheld however the quality was still not diminished by this factor. From videoing it by phone the quality of it was outstanding, as you cant change the different shutter speeds or the ISO. I had to choose my certain times to film and I chose at the correct times which gave me the lighting I wanted.

I had a different plan to what I actually filmed and I cut out and mixed and match different clips to create the sequence I wanted. I believe that my actual plan would've been better if I had had more time to be able to edit i would've included a voiceover and many more shots, but some of the shots I had we're bad quality and shot at night so due to not having a high quality camera to be able to shoot well in the dark (unable to change ISO) i filmed everything in light.

I also would've contained more of a clear narrative as to some people it could be unclear what happens, however new wave is about life and my film exactly shows that with the included time lapses on real locations e.g train stations, in a car driving round a common area with many cars. I tried to vary the shot types but I would definitely include more if I redid with different angles of the same scene to create this common theme that runs throughout New Wave. The structure of my film is good with different sounds and different speeds of the same shots to create illusional effects. I believe my film fits into the new wave category however could be drastically improved with more new wave themes intertwined throughout and i could've used speech to make it more realistic.

By using real locations and handheld camera you can achieve a raw film, open to interpretation by the audience which new wave films are. My film contains raw emotions and very different interpretation of new wave with lots of locations people see in daily lives, I think the film would've been better in black and white, I would change if i were to redo it.

New Wave Film Plan

New Wave Film - Disconnected 

My New Wave film will be based upon the themes of contemporary relationships in todays society and how they almost all certainly come to an end and to show how we have now recently been cursed with the vast use of the internet and the difference that.

 My friend constructed this poem from her mind about a boy who she was once engaged with to show that there are in fact differences in societies now and that feelings are more spoken about and it is more normalised to talk about them.

These were her feelings and she managed to capture them in a poem so the base of my short new wave film will be on this poem and my individual interpretation of it.

Using handheld camera making it obvious to heighten reality and a different variety of shots to show difference and diversity within society.

My aim is to have someone speak this as the voiceover, preferably a male as i'd like the protagonist to be male. Also to show that even though it was written by a woman, that it wont conform to the general stereotype of males not having feelings etc which we are broadly shown in society today.


Possibly film in black and white I would like it to be in winter and possibly raining to project a pathetic fallacy type interpretation.
A basic use of shots, and long takes with many deep meanings.

The song youth - daughter gently playing in the background





PLAN FOR FILM AND VOICEOVER

First scene.

I used to hope bitterly that

you would let me stay for a while in your mind,

if my favourite song came on.

I wanted you to realise that

even though it was over

it was real;

-rewind of cup/plate getting broken smashed 
-boy walking then stopping slow motion looks at his phone
-close up of him getting the phone out and the song playing
-favourite song starts playing dead in the water/antichrist
-background music fades out, the song starts playing.

I don't want to think of you,

Flicking through weathered photo albums,

Stopping for a second in frustration

Tapping my face

As if that could summon my name

back into your memory

-standing in kegs or a shopping centre train station
- a time lapse for 15/20 minutes of boy standing there
-a fast forward arrow overlay?
- flicking through an album/phone
-a sound to bring back to reality 
-fade to black
-slow motion tapping my face in a photo
-head in hands slow breakdown

I used to try bury all thoughts of you -

then i felt guilty when the thoughts rarely came,

thoughts of something that was so perfect.

until it wasn't.

-girl and boy sat on park bench camera on tripod girl there and then she's not, distortion type view editing girl there and then not 
-slow motion of paper being thrown into a bin then time lapse of the bin becoming full.

there was a time when i controlled the weather for you -

your pupils would dilate just from looking at me.

-cloud montage scene of weather changing time lapse.

-girls pupils dilating.

-slow motion boy feeling his hair

Even though we've grown so far apart,

and bumping into you would only mean an awkward exchange of hello's and perhaps,

seeing someone next to you that suits you better than I ever could have done,

-bumping into each other, camera switches to both perspectives
-walking away showing both perspectives, both look behind.
-girl standing next to a boy laughing.
-pull focus of boy looking up and seeing the girl walk past or stood at bus top

there was a time when the conversations that we had

both on our backs, contemplating the world around us as one

were more important to you than anything.

-both sat on the floor on their backs on grass looking up, their view upwards and the cloud montage again.

-boy looks to the girl girl looks back. 

-disappears..

No matter how much I try,

I will never forget the feelings,

But for now .. I will adapt.

I will grow.

I will move on.

-driving in a car time lapse
-time lapse of growing mine craft
-speaking to other girl on phone and smiling.

Storyboard

Health and Safety Concerns

Health And Safety Concerns§

Professional film crews take health and safety issues very seriously. The line of responsibility runs from the Producer to the Production Manager and 1st Assistant Director and finally on to all crew members who have a duty of care which is recognised by law. If someone can see the potential for an accident and does nothing to try to prevent it, they can be held responsible in some way, probably along with their senior colleagues.

When filming, people have many things on their minds, things can get rushed, and risks can increase. Even simple things can become dangerous because this is not an ordinary situation. Of course, all of life presents hazards, but if someone is asked to run down a hill repeatedly to get the scene right, for example, the risk of them tripping and falling on their face is increased with each time they do this. If the hill is pavement rather than grass the risk of serious injury is increased.

Risk assessment

The way to stay safe is to look at each shooting set up or location individually and think of what exactly could go wrong. This is called a risk assessment, and can be an excellent exercise to do with your students. (if you don't work with the young people on it you will need to cover it yourself)

It's a three step process

• Identify all the hazards
• Evaluate the risks
• Identify measures to control the risks

Then put in place safeguards to eliminate or minimise risk. You should make a record of any risk assessment to ensure the students are clear on how to stay safe. This can save time during your shoot. Rules about listening to each other, respecting a chain of command, looking after equipment properly, and not rushing, will all help to keep people safe and happy.

'Hazard' refers to the potential for harm. while 'Risk' is the chance of that harm actually happening. Though some hazards might seem very obvious, people might still need to have them pointed out.

Weather

Extremes of weather are one commonly overlooked hazard. If you are filming outside all day, it is essential to make sure the crew are dressed appropriately. A lot of the time you may be standing around and people will get cold very quickly even in what seems quite mild weather. Layers of clothes are best, and get everyone to bring a waterproof and a woolly hat - they keep out wind as well as rain and are invaluable.

Sunburn and heatstroke are other outdoor hazards. Always have high protection sunscreen on hand and make the students put it on. Try to get students to wear some kind of sun hat or stay in the shade when possible and make sure lots of water is available to drink. The other reason for sunscreen is to stop the actors' appearance changing drastically and messing up the continuity of the film!

Time pressure

Rushing to finish in time is when hazards get missed, or people start taking risks. If this starts to happen, take a moment to calm everyone down and remind them: this is only a film. If you feel really pressured try to think of how to lighten the work-load: can you cut out some shots or set ups to give you the time to get the most essential stuff for the film without a panic? Or can you come back tomorrow to finish?

Other common hazards

Tripping hazards

Move or gaffa tape down cables and objects that could be tripped over.

Lifting hazards

Go carefully when moving or lifting heavy or dangerous things, ask someone to help you.

Camera risks

When a camera operator or cast member is walking during a shot, make sure they are comfortable with their route and there is nothing that could cause problems (a camera operator who needs to walk backwards for a shot should have an assistant to guide them and/or check their route).

Water

Shots that involve water.

Precarious

Shots from high up or near the edge of something.

Shots that look illegal

Shots might look illegal if you didn't know a camera was there. This could cause distress to members of the public &/or cause a police call out.

Film & illusion

Remember filmmaking is about illusion. You can act, shoot and edit in a way that suggests all sorts of scary things without having to put people at risk.

Someone at height can be faked by lying on the ground with the camera looking up at someone with only sky behind them, acting as if they are on the edge of a great height.

Young people often want to depict violence, with or without weapons. This can get out of hand and lead to real injury. The safest way to deal with violent scenes is to suggest the violence, or show the aftermath but leave the detail to the viewer's imagination.

Example: a scene about bullying. The victim stands alone, the bullies advance. We see a shot of the victim's face, scared. We see the victim's point of view as the bullies crowd round. We see a shot from a distance as the victim is finally surrounded, the camera tilts up to the sky, a lovely sunny day, birds sing, we hear the SOUND of the bullies thumping our victim. Cut or Fade to the aftermath, victim sitting crying in a heap on ground, or in hospital bed, headmaster's office - wherever you wish to take your story next...

The point is: your viewer will probably imagine something far worse than you could ever safely show. Get your students to think about examples from films where violence has been suggested rather than graphically shown. One of the most famous scenes is the shower scene in Hitchcock's Psycho: very little is shown, but audiences were horrified and that was in black and white! (Obviously this exercise depends on the age of your students).

Young people will take extra risks when filming, usually because they are caught up in the moment and want to make their film look like the ones they've seen on TV or cinema. It is your job to be vigilant, listen to what they are trying to achieve and help them find a way to do this safely. The key to this success is right back at the start - PLANNING & PREPARATION - careful planning and prep will save time, money and heartache.

Don't let health & safety be a barrier. Look for solutions to problems, there is nearly always a safe way of creating the same shot.

Release forms

Before commencing film making with young people you should obtain signed release forms from parents/guardians for everyone involved; this should also release them for photographs (and get it for animation films too, in case you use faces in the credits or the like). And remember you might want clearance to go on a school website (or vimeo - think festivals) so these should be covered too.

A letter with the release form, detailing the benefits of the project will encourage parents to say yes to their child being involved

Disclosure forms

Disclosure Scotland should be contacted if you are enlisting the help and practical support of others on the film project to work alongside young people. Enhanced Disclosure forms will certainly be held by most professional filmmakers and project facilitators.

Food

Feeding your crew, and keeping everyone hydrated makes everyone work better. If you organise food at a set time (aka catering), it is a good break for everyone. Food doesn't have to be fancy, a simple pizza delivery can boost flagging energy levels and raise morale.

References

https://movingimageeducation.org/create-films/production/the-production-department/health-and-safety

4 Hour Film Challenges

4 Hour Film Challenges

Unusual Perspective 4 Hour Film - Disconnected


First film we were asked to do for the first four hour film challenge was to film an 'unusual perspective' film. We were asked to film and edit this within four hours which is challenging as we have to think of a narrative, get actors/actresses and also film and edit which can be tough. During out studies at the moment we have been looking into the 'New Wave' era, this really influenced us on our idea to film and produce what we did in this sense, it has lots of new wave elements such as no real narrative and also you make up the plot line in your head as it's hard to comprehend and label it a narrative itself. 

(cant insert film - link broken)




I believe my film worked well because we used an unusual perspective (as the brief was), we had a different use of colour and the themes and values of our film were really different and out of the ordinary, the shots were in fact in really good focus however we can see in some shots that the definition and focus is really blurred but we found out that this is only due to the colours when they were placed onto the camera caused a type of block of the definition giving it a slightly blurred look. 

Doing my film again I would definitely decide to sellotape the colours red/blue together as we had someone holding them up lat time which caused them to be constantly moving/not still. The filter impacts the definition too much in my opinion, they worked well but really changes the whole focus of the film, to change this for net time I would probably add the filters on photoshop instead of holding them up onto the actual camera. I would also film a bit more to make the context a bit more understandable (it was meant t be unusual perspective so the narrative doesn't necessarily need to make perfect sense however I would like it to have more of a clear element to it).





Illusions 4 Hour Film - Wii


In this 4 hour film challenge we were given the idea to create a film using illusional aspects, in this one we decided to create a stop motion type of film of the world-renowned wii theme tune song so that on each 'beat' we had each of us change position or shape of something within the scene was different as well as all of us having to be completely still when something has been moved so that it created the illusional aspect to it.

I believe that the film worked specially well, I think it was entertaining and grabs the eye of the audience as it's using a very classic song and has elements of humour to it. It's got that random and quirky aspect to it and in a way it's extremely satisfying to watch that on every beat something within the scene changes. The placing of the camera was very good as it doesn't move throughout the whole film which is a good technique to only use one person on the camera (as it could potentially move if more than one person was to be in charge of filming. It was very time consuming to edit as you have to get it on exact beat and some were long and some were very short so I believe that it is done very well. I also think watching it back quite frequently the beats are mostly on time which also adds to the illusion.

I think if I were to do it again i would have made it a lot longer as it doesn't actually finish to the whole wii song, or instead of making it longer bring it to an end in some way by either adding some of the and the camera is actually slightly out of focus in most shots so i would probably change the settings to make it more defined if I had personally filmed it. Other than them few minor details I think it has a really good and grabbing narrative. 

1920'S 4 Hour Film - RUN


For this four hour film challenge we were asked to compose a film that would fit into the 1920's era. the 19020's era was full of silent and black and white films that had a narrative as such and actors making really big exaggerating moves (as there was no sound). In the expressionism way in which we had to film was obvious and I added things such as the classic silent film music and the overlay in black and white to make it look like the very early 1900's films.



I think my film went well as within the group it was my original idea to film the footage we did (the narrative) as well as being a main actress in the film, it has the scenic style and signature look of a typical 1920's film. It has a playful element to it which is entertaining for the audience, the different choices and varied shot types worked and the narrative makes sense and is all in a specific order which helps the audience to understand it more. 

If I were to film it again however, I know I would now add a lot more varied angles, maybe close ups of faces with very big expressions, a lot more planning to it and planning of the shots, I would also add a few more title screens to carry the narrative through out with the chaser saying things like 'I have something for you' etc, to keep the narrative in play. I would also play about more with the effects to add a bit more of a stop motion type feel to it as the cameras in the 19020's had slight jolts. Overall my film works well in the 1920's theme but if I were to redo it I would now have a better idea of the more stylistic composition of the actual frames and how the film was going to work.




Music Video 4 Hour Film - About You


For this four hour film challenge we were asked to compose a music video from the song About you - XXYYXX (Sina Sadeghi Remix). We could interpret the song however we wanted and the challenge was to use a lot of stock footage to make the video. 

I was inspired heavily by the works of Koyaanisqatsi who uses beautiful scenes of the environment and then compares them to the city scenes now and how evolution of the world is ruining these beautiful climates. All of my footage was from the website pexels and I created the illusion using the different footages how man has changed the landscapes by creating these environmental damages. 
I think my film works well in the scenes it shows a drastic change and i created an illusion that changes on the exact beats. If i were to redo this challenge I would probably create more interesting slides to look at with more words as all of it is mainly just similar types of stock footage. I love the transition from each landscape where its got a kind of glitchy delusion feel. 

Lighting in Film

Lighting in Film

Lighting in Film Noir was extremely limited with technology due to the times Film Noir was in so they were in turn bound by lighting, however not limited in their talents to show all the different concepts they created with shadows and use of chiaroscuro.

Chiaroscuro emphasises shadows and the harsh lighting to create a sense of depth and volume which was first originally shown in paintings and then entered the film scene to create a number of dark connotations in these films particularly the one's with people containing the dark cynical attitudes.

In the Classic Film Noir Era between 1940-1959 as only black and white photography was used they were able to show the contrasts between dark and light in a lot more clearer perspectives and with intentions to create dark meanings, as for most of the actual Film Noir films we see this distinctive recurring themes of cynical characters and the interplay of light and dark.

Three Point Lighting

 

Three point lighting is the fundamental system used in filmmaking and is one of the oldest lighting techniques used in shooting video and essentially it consists three lights:

To Remember - 3 Point Lighting
Key Light - main light on a subject (not always the brightest).
Fill Light - softens the hard edges of the key and balances the light out.
Back Light - light behind a subject creating separation from the background.

The primary light is the Key Light is the most important and mainly the most dominant light in the scene(usually the brightest). It's there to bring light directly to your subject so that whatever you are filming, the subject is well illuminated in the shot. Key lights should not be placed directly in front of the talent or subject, but instead slightly off to a side. While just having this light may look enough light, of you want a well lit piece, you'll want to include both the other two lights to provide the subject in shot with more dimension, all depending on how you want the subject to be portrayed.

Complimenting the Key Light is the Fill light which is usually placed opposite of the Key light to fill in the shadows that have been left over by the Key light. The Fill light essentially fills the dark side of the subject. The Fill light allows you to control the overall feel of your shot depending on how much you dim or lighten the Fill light. A dim Fill light will give you more of a harsh, film-noir type of a shadow, while having the light brighter will help give your subject a more even look. You should always have a Fill light in place even if you want a shadowy look to your subject so that you are able to see a little detail on the darker side.

The final light is the Back light which adds a light at the back which separates the subject from the background. A Back light will put another element to the image of your subject and will push them off from the background, again adding another type of dimension. For this all you need to do is place a light behind your subject pointed at the back of their neck and high enough to be out of the frame. Watch that you don't have the light too bright or the effect you get may not be the one that you were looking for. 

This is a very basic overview of he standard three point lighting technique The most prominent lights in the setup of film noir were very String Key Lights and Strong Back Lights.
However Fill lights were not used as often as the other two because they don’t show the big exaggerating contrasts like the others. Film noir generally uses hard lights, the type of shadow it creates created by a single point source of light light is emerging from a single point. Hard shadows define the film noir look, the alternating patterns included throughout the whole genre to create an eerie and unsafe look. Soft lighting is used more conservatively sometimes to glamorise female's characters.

Rembrant Lighting

This lighting technique is used in studio portrait photography. It can be achieved using one light and a reflector(fill light) and is popular because it can create images with considered lighting by using a minimum of equipment. Rembrandt lighting is characterised by an illuminated triangle under the eye of the subject, on the less illuminated side of the face. It is named after the Dutch painter Rembrandt who often use this type of lighting

Butterfly Lighting

This technique takes the key light up much higher than the subject and is shooting down onto them to cast a butterfly type shadow on their face. It is thought to project more glamorous and complimentary connotations than other techniques. It is also known as 'Paramount lighting' named for classic Hollywood glamour photography, as you can see it was often used on 1950's film stars.

Edge Lighting

Edge(or split) lighting is slightly more dramatic than Rembrandt and hugely more so than Butterfly. It defines and separates one side of the face from the other more obviously. The highlights are lighter and the low lights darker, therefore the contrast is higher. The first two images below show the technique can fall int the low key lighting family if the key light used is from a small source and your studio is pitch black. Image 3 is Edge lighting used from a soft light in a studio with natural light present.

Lighting Setup's with examples

Here are some of our work during the HNC where we constructed the studio to take photos surrounding the theme of lighting. 

As you can see from these photos, using lighting in different places enhances different elements of the person you are photographing, in this case using lighting from above makes the subject look more innocent and in less of a position of power in this circumstance. She is shown to be fully brightened which means there is barely any darkness to the photo when it was taken.

Whereas in this photo by moving the lights to either side rather than on top of the subject you get this type of chiaroscuro view where only half of her face is lightened, as we know this is often used in the film noir techniques to show the darkness in a subject. 

Chiaroscuro emphasises shadows and the harsh lighting to create a sense of depth and volume and in this case we can see half of the face has been obscured to crate this certain look.

In this video you can clearly see that we have distinguished our use of lighting to create this shadow type chiaroscuro look. By using a dark studio and harsh light on one side we create this effect. Not using all three lights and only one - the key light and placing in from certain angles can obtain different effects.

In this video we can see that by using the exact same technique on a different person we can carry out this same harsh darkness on one side of the face by just moving the one key light in place. The shot is slightly out of focus but a bigger improvement fro the first video.

In this raw video we see that we are making a mistake by not focusing the camera but trying to achieve however still creates this really raw look about it.

In this video we see that we have corrected our mistake of the lens focus, so we eventually have achieved this amazing looking shot and showing the darkness which hides within someone could be useful in horror genres or genres involving darkness in someone(film noir etc).




REFERENCES

https://www.slrlounge.com/glossary/butterfly-lighting-definition/

https://tubularinsights.com/three-point-lighting-technique/