Week 7: Present Film and Get Feedback

WHAT

HOW

Tag line: A boy goes through a day in school filled with confusion. Questions: Did it covey confusion and stress? Did you understand it at all?

Feedback

  1. “The point of view camera was remarkably smooth, not shaky at all. How did you do that? I would say it did, but personally I think it could have been cut a little faster in editing.”- Dylan Werts
  2. “I think it did convey the emotions of online school, the only thing I’d say is it’s probably better to film horizontally”- Meredith Morgan
  3. “It made sense what was happening throughout it. The camera was well done. The audio was very spontaneous and inconsistent, more ambiance throughout the whole thing would improve it a lot. Overall good job.”- Ellie Tetrault
  4. “I think that you did a good job at making it seeming confused, but I think that filming horizontally may be better, also some of the shots seemed a little stretched out and a bit long, but overall, great work!”- Stuart Whitney

WHERE

  • YouTube

Week 6: Editing Evidence

WHAT

HOW

Shots that were suppose to put you in the eyes of a student (POV) and cuts to convey confusion and that everything is the same. Beginning wake pov, middle, get prepared, end school. A standard cut (first cut), a smash cut, jump cut, and a match cut (second cut), standard cut (3rd cut), fade in/fade out cut (fourth cut)

  • 21 seconds of POV walking
  • 14 seconds of a waking up
  • 6 seconds of staring
  • 23 seconds of typing (fade to next scene)
  • 18 seconds of class
  • 8 seconds of end card

Week 5: Editing Production

WHAT

  • Intention Established and Documented: Confusion and Anxiety
  • Training Engaged and Documented (WeVideo.com): Shots that were suppose to put you in the eyes of a student (POV) and cuts to convey confusion and that everything is the same
  • Short Film with Beginning Middle and End (To help create basic edits): Beginning wake pov, middle, get prepared, end school
  • Basic Editing Techniques Used and Documented: A standard cut (first cut), a smash cut, jump cut, and a match cut (second cut), standard cut (3rd cut), fade in/fade out cut (fourth cut)

WHY

  • My cuts are suppose to show how waking up to the feeling of unmotivation feels, especial how it feels to me, and how the days feel to fast but also extremely slow

HOW

  • Create an autobiographical short film about your COVID learning experience (30 to 60 seconds) with at least 4 types of edits
  • This film will help us get to know each other and what we are experiencing a little better
  • No copyrighted material
  • ONLY student original work, including music
  • Edit with WeVideo.com

EXAMPLE

  • Set a creative intention
    • Make viewer ‘feel’ my COVID truth
  • Identify the tension
    • Daily COVID learning experience
  • Setting
    • School and stress
  • LOGLINE
    • A boy feels anxious and confused going through the day
  • Techniques to possibly be used
    • Standard Cut / Hard Cut – no meaning or feeling, immersive, advanced story
    • Series Jump Cut – pushes time forward, gives energy/urgency, cuts inside same shot, deliberate passing of time, similar to the montage
    • Montage – the passage of time, quick transformation by a character, underscored music (Rocky)
    • Cutting on Action – cut while the subject is in action: hard and fast, slow and deliberate (throwing something, turn, going through the door)
    • Smash Cut – abrupt, waking up from an intense nightmare, intense to quiet/quiet to intense
    • Fade In/Fade Out – Dissolving to or from black
  • Shot List (Use phone or Chromebook) Clips that I need to record (with phone or Chromebook)
    • 21 seconds of POV walking
    • 14 seconds of a waking up
    • 6 seconds of staring
    • 23 seconds of typing (fade to next scene)
    • 18 seconds of class
    • 8 seconds of end card

ASSESSMENT

RUBRIC for Preparation and Publication

  • PROFESSIONALISM: GOAL SETTING (Intention for the film)
  • TECHNOLOGY/PROFESSIONALISM: Blog portfolio publishing
  • WRITING: Complete sentences proper grammar and spelling
  • INDUSTRY: Follow tutorials and Use a film editor

Week 4: Editing Pre-production

Evidence of Editing: Rain Man

Due: Saturday, March 6, 2021 at 11:59 pm

I don’t see anything except hard cuts, its nothing interesting but i like looking at a movie that’s not hailed as great for its directing

There were basic hard cuts to show Raymond’s character, and his detachment to what neurotypical people think is normal. He doesn’t make eye contact but the camera is always on him.

I learned that you don’t have to use crazy editing to make a compelling scene. This scene is very interesting to me and i love it, but its very bland in editing

Resources

Watch Walter Murch explain the following rules

  1. Rule 1. EMOTION – Cut for emotion. Does the shot you cut continue the emotion/feeling? How will this cut affect the audience emotionally at this point in the film? Why is this the MOST important rule according to Walter Murch?
  2. Rule 2. STORY – Advancing the story cuts. Do you understand what is happening? Does this edit move the story forward in a meaningful way?
  3. Rule 3. RHYTHM – Cutting with rhythm. Does the cut happen at the RIGHT POINT? Is the cut at a point that makes rhythmic sense? Like music, editing has a beat. Timing is everything. If the rhythm is off, your edit will look sloppy, a bad cut can be ‘jarring’ to an audience. Try to keep the cut tight and interesting.
  4. Rule 4. EYE TRACE – Lead with eye trace. Where is the viewer’s eye (not the actor’s eyes!) when you cut to the next shot? How does the cut affect the location and movement of the audience’s focus?
  5. Rule 5. TWO DIMENSIONAL PLACE OF SCREEN / 180 DEGREE RULE / 2D place of the camera – Recreate reality on screen. Is your cut logical to where the actors are? Follow the axis 180-degree line.
  6. Rule 6. THREE DIMENSIONAL SPACE / CONTINUITY OF SPACE / 3D space – Physical space in a scene. Do the actors make sense in their space? Is the cut TRUE to established physical and spatial relationships? Similar to the 180-degree rule. Break this rule when you want to disorient your audience (The Shining).
  7. Extra Rule 7. BREATHING SPACE – Allow your viewers time to ‘digest’ what they’ve seen before you move on to the next scene. When shooting a scene allow film / actor / interviewer time before and after / 5 second countdown / silent for 2,1

60 Second Film: An Apple a Day

Summary

A boy wakes up and goes through his routine but doesn’t get his daily apple

Log Line: A boy realized he doesn’t get his apple today and has a mental break down

Goal: get good angles and work with cinematography

Questions for Feedback

  • My Questions:
  • how do you think i could have made this look smoother?
  • Any advise on acting?

Feedback

  • ” I liked the camera angle where it was looking down at the fruit drawer in the fridge. I guess as far as smoothness you could have set your phone up instead of holding it at the end.”- Dylan Werts
  • “talking to mom and not seeing her worked well – you didn’t need to”-  Brian Favorite
  • The inside the fridge shot was cool – Meredith Morgan

Film Analysis Worksheet: Across the Universe

Summary

The film i watched was across the universe. A trippy musical romance movie. I chose this because it intrested me the most, and i wanted to watch something new

Film Analysis

Film TitleAcross the Universe
Year2007
DirectorJulie Taymor
CountryUSA/UK
GenreFantasy, Drama, Romance, Music, History
If you could work on this film (change it), what would you change and why?occasionally the visuals and audio take away from the story. but i think thats kinda the point

Film information can be found at imdb.com

As you view films, consider how the cuts, camera angles, shots, and movement work to create particular meanings. Think about how they establish space, privilege certain characters, suggest relationships, and emphasize themes. In addition to shot distances, angles, editing, and camera movement, note details of the narrative, setting, characters, lighting, props, costume, tone, and sound.

Ask yourself the following questions:

TOPICYOUR NOTES
1. Who is the protagonist?Lucy and Jude
2. Who is the antagonist?War maybe, there isn’t one really
3. What is the conflict?falling in love
4. What is the theme or central, unifying concept? (summarize in one or two words)why fight when you can sing and love
5. How is the story told (linear, non-linear, with flashbacksflash-forwards, at regular intervals)linear
6. What “happens” in the plot (Brief description)?a irish man comes to america and meets friends and falls in love
7. How does the film influence particular reactions on the part of viewers (sound, editing,
characterization, camera movement, etc.)? Why does the film encourage such
reactions?
I don’t really know music and visuals. but what i’m suppost to feel? tripped out, relaxed, weirded out
8. Is the setting realistic or stylized? What atmosphere does the setting suggest? Do particular objects or settings serve symbolic functions?Stylized, its historical yes but with how the visuals and the songs are it’s definitely stylized
9. How are the characters costumed and made-up? What does their clothing or makeup reveal about their social standing, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or age? How do costume and makeup convey character?It definetly shows of that they are poorish in the early 70’s and in there early 20’s
10. How does the lighting design shape our perception of character, space, or mood?The lighting natural except for the experimental bits, that give attention the the absurdity of the visuals
11. How do camera angles and camera movements shape our view of characters or spaces? What do you see cinematically?i think the camera helps show the chemistry between Jude and Lucy very well
12. What is the music’s purpose in the film? How does it direct our attention within the image? How does it shape our interpretation of the image? What stands out about the music?Music is a key part of the story showing. It’s a jukebox musical so it’s using already created songs to portray whats going on
13. How might industrial, social, and economic factors have influenced the film? Describe how this film influences or connects to a culture?The whole film is about the social aspect of hippies in the 70’s. So the social and cultural importance of hippie culture is prevalent
14. Give an example of what a film critic had to say about this film. Use credible sources and cite sources.Example: “The Shawshank Redemption Movie Review (1994) | Roger Ebert.” All Content. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 June 2015.“The imagery is pretty astonishing — Taymor treats some of the more fantastical moments as if she were making big-screen music videos — and it’s all very intelligently done. But it’s kind of a silly idea, very intelligently done”-
Bob Mondello
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/across_the_universe
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14429238
15. Select one scene no longer than 5 minutes that represents well the whole film and shows relevant cinematic elements. Write a one-sentence description of the scene and record the time of the scene.Example: from 1:05:00 to 1:10:00.Explain why you chose this scene.PLACE THE TIME STAMP FROM THE SCENE HERE… Example: 01:38:55 – 01:41:00 
Jude goes to find Lucy to apologize, and is coaght in the middle of a strike.
16. In the selected scenewrite a sentence for each of the elements below to justify why this scene best represents the film:
a. Screenwriting:The way Across the Universe (the song) is used to show his feelings for Lucy
b. Sound Design:I enjoy the way helter skelter and across the universe when jude is in the middle of the strike. He’s still looking fot lucy but the strike is destraking him
c. Camera Movements/Angles:i like how the camera holds on jude’s face you can really see what he’s thinking
d. Light Setup:when the camera is on half his face light flashes on the side of his face showing that other trains are passing
e. Soundtrack/Score:This whole scene is song but i just love this song and how it perfectly shoes how Jude feels
18. What’s the socio-cultural context of this film?The love between 2 younge people in the 70’s as war and peace are argued

Film – Week 13 – Changes

“The most honest form of filmmaking is to make a film for yourself.”

― Peter Jackson,  Link

SUMMARY

  • Lots of catching up

PRACTICE ROOM (TUTORIALS)

Screenshot from sneakonthelot.com
Screenshot from sneakonthelot.com
  • Set a timer for 60 minutes in this ‘room’

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

Screenshot from The Story of Film Trailer on NetworkReleasing YouTube channel

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY, PRODUCTIVITY & THE BRAIN)

Worksheet from bananatreelog.com

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

  • Use your time wiselly

WEEKLY ACTIVITY EVALUATION

Very intresting episode

Story of Film – Episode 2 – The Hollywood Dream

Citizen Kane
“Citizen Kane” by octubreccc is marked with CC0 1.0

The Story of Film: An Odyssey Notes

1918-1928: The Triumph of American Film…

…And the First of its Rebels

Film – Week 11 – Updating Workflow – Mind Like Water

“‘Be shapeless and formless.. like water’ (Bruce Lee)” by Akinini.com is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

“Have a mind like water.”

― David Allen,  GTD

SUMMARY

  • I’m trying to finish up all my late assingments

PRACTICE ROOM (TUTORIALS)

Screenshot from sneakonthelot.com
Screenshot from sneakonthelot.com
  • I’m waiting for it to be approved

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

Screenshot from The Story of Film Trailer on NetworkReleasing YouTube channel
  • Set a timer
  • Spend 75 minutes in this ‘room’
  • Watch the first episode of The Story of Film and take notes in a separate blog post

Steps

  1. Create a blog post titled, Story of Film – Episode 1 – Birth of the Cinema
  2. Embed an interesting Creative Commons image from Flickr.com at the top of your post
  3. Create a heading 2 titled Notes 
  4. Copy and paste the episode’s referenced films as text with links from The Story of Film: An Odyssey at Wikipedia
  5. Cite your source as Wikipedia and link back to The Story of Film: An Odyssey page
    • Example: “The following material is from Wikipedia.”
  6. Take notes as you watch the episode
    • Indent under the film Mark Cousins is referencing
      • Place your notes there
      • These notes will help you on future research projects in high school and possibly in college
  7. Access Episode 1 and begin watching

Examples

OUTSIDE (PRODUCTIVITY & THE BRAIN)

Image from bananatreelog.com

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

  • Catching up on work

WEEKLY ACTIVITY EVALUATION

  • Give feedback on this week’s class Content and Process
  • DELETE THIS WHOLE SECTION, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

Story of Film – Episode 1 – Birth of the Cinema

Prima newyorkese di The Jazz Singer
https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/b1391a0e-f665-4226-a945-9b97404afd60
“Prima newyorkese di The Jazz Singer” by www.brevestoriadelcinema.org is marked with CC PDM 1.0

Episode 1 – Birth of the Cinema. Notes

Introduction The Story of Film: An Odyssey

1895-1918: The World Discovers a New Art Form or Birth of the Cinema

1903-1918: The Thrill Becomes Story or The Hollywood Dream