New Year

All posts previous to this one are from Level 5.

Film Noir Lighting

Continuing on from my previous post on Film Noir, here are a few examples of Film Noir lighting and how to achieve it.

I have already used Film Noir influenced lighting in a couple of my films. I plan to really focus on the lighting and creating a Film Noir look on the film I will develop over Easter.

Parkour Film Notes

* POV Bullet Cam
* Follow 1 primary person but they cross paths with others
* Protagonist tasked with picking up and delivering a package - meets some obstacle


Story

* Start with Will stood overlooking Sheffield
* He looks down at a piece of paper
* Written on it are co-ordinates
* He tears up the paper
* Background noise of music becomes full volume as he puts his headphones on
* General Parkour video to get to the pickup
* As he gets there another courier arrives with the bag
* They look at each other (POV) we hear each other's music
* Some elaborate handshake/passover
* As first runner leaves we see through the eyes of another runner
* He speeds towards Will and relay passes him more coordinates in an envelope
* Will heads off
* Men in black car screech to a halt blocking his path, he vaults the bonnet, he runs faster but unalarmed (as if expecting the trouble)
* Other men dressed in black keep appearing as he runs - with earpieces - tracking him
* Runs along a rooftop - someone similarly dressed is blocking his path - he changes direction - vaulting/jumping but they follow him also jumping/vaulting
* Will begins to look less composed but becomes more determined - the pursuer keeps up the pace
* The pursuer makes a bad landing in an alley, breaking his ankle and collapses into a heap
* Will stops and turns as he tries to stand but drops to his knees
* Will pauses but then turns and runs
* Will arrives, breathing heavily at the dropoff

Something to do after Easter

Because we have almost 5 months between the end of Easter and the start of our third year I intend to use that time to develop and Direct several films. Here is a short film idea that I am developing with a friend of mine.

A ten-minute film that literally opens with a bang. It begins at the inciting
incident. Some dramatic event has occurred moments before the film began. A
murder?

Aesthetic ideas to explore include:

• Film Noir, something visually expressive that uses light and shadow and is thoroughly thought out in pre-production.
• The idea of the long take, as in Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil.
• Contrast – two styles of aesthetic. The stylised and expressionistic nature of Film Noir versus the raw and loose nature of the French New Wave.
• Sound should be an important component of the film. How can it be used to dramatic effect? The use of soundscapes etc.
• A film that has a proper and professional colour grade, with sufficient post-production given to this.

The idea of two contrasting cinematic style means that a dramatic event has to occur that is big enough to warrant such a change in style. Something must occur to the protagonist that changes the path they are on.

Grindleford Ideas

Padley Manor and Gatehouse

• Meeting of a secret society
• betrayal
• Initiation
• Conspiracy
• Seems oldern but watched by photographer?

Money Tree

• Fairy Tale
  • A boy is walking through the woods with his parents
  • They stop for a picnic
  • He goes to wonder off, they tell him not to go far
  • He finds the money tree
  • He meets a young girl
  • They talk
  • They play together
  • She takes him on a magical journey
  • They get back
  • His parents call for him
  • They find him but the girl has gone
  • We see a small plaque dedicating the tree to the little girl

A Murder

Smugglers using tunnels in the mountains

Fantasy film using the entrance? 

The Secret Society:

Premise: Jonathan Parkes, an investigative journalist falls foul of a secret society he has been investigating after he finally uncovers them.

Short 3-5 minute film, but possibly the idea could be the start of a 10 minute film.

Main focus is the chase

Characters:

The Journalist:

• Jonathan Parkes
• 31
• Slim, Dark Hair
• A good photographer but not well established as an investigative journalist
• Works for a small local newspaper
• Boss doesn't believe in the story so he investigates on his own time
• Just discovered proof of their existence, actual photos of them

The Hooded Men

• Members of an acient society
• It is very powerful and far reaching
• They have been watching John for some time
• He go too close and must now be dealt with

The Story:

• Padley Manor Gatehouse - Night
  • The hooded men are gathered around in a half circle, the only light are the burning torches, they are talking in a ritual. A figure with a black hood covering his face is dragged on.
• Flashback to Forest - Day
  • JOHN (31) a slim, dark haired man is breathing heavily. A camera is dangling precariously from a strap around his neck, the lens cap still removed. With a look of absolute fear he runs, faster than he ever has before. The thin white trees whip past him as he goes by.
    He steals a quick glance over his shoulder and he sees them, the hooded men. They are advancing slowly but somehow they are always close behind him, no matter how fast he runs.
• Continues running
  • Running for his life, moss covered rocks slow his escape. He doesn't look behind him now but he knows they are there.
• Tunnel
  • See the stone entrance, has heard of tunnels through the mountains so runs, hoping. He stumbles down the steps and into the darkness, his phone lights his way.
• Exit tunnel
• • The tunnel becomes narrower until he is crawling. He emerges in between a formation of rocks.
• Standing
  • He breathes a breath of relief, but it is short lived. A dark bag is placed over his head and then darkness.
• Back to the Manor
  • A knife is handed to one of the hooded men, nervously he steps forward and removes his hood.He hesitates and we see from Jonathan’s eyes as the knife is thrust through his heart. The world begins to fade and then Jonathan’s body slumps to the floor. Then thrown in a grave with his camera.
    
    

• People stood around talking at night, fire, in cloaks
• Initiation
• Words being spoken for it
• Flashback to someone running away
• It's day and night we can see the monks moving slowly behind him
• He runs through several locations
• He finds the tunnel entrance and bolts down it
• Running in the tunnel using phone as torch
• Get out of the tunnel, possibly in rock formation, stands on top.
• Looks at view, breathing heavily.
• Stands up and a hood is put over his head.
• We hear voices but see nothing, then the hood is removed and a young monk with a knife is stood opposite him.
• He approacehes (still pov), leans down and thrusts the knife towards the man, we hear his scream.
• Then we seem him slump forward (third person) with the young monk stood over him with the bloody knife.
• Cut to burying him, there is a camera with photos of them
• The camera is destroyed/buried with him

Premise: An investigative journalist/photographer falls foul of a secret society he is investigating.

Discover more

Good pace and tone

How to we know that the character knows? Show it 'looks determined'

The Rules of Film Noir: Documentary

The Rules of Film Noir is a BBC Four documentary about the origins and influences of the Film Noir Genre. Film Noir is a genre that I have always found interesting. I have been wanting to make a Film Noir film for a while now.

Film Noir is a world of cigarettes, rainy streets, shadows, guns and black. It is a world of sinners starring a dame with a past and a hero with no future.

Film Noir Characters:

• Femme Fatalle - the black widow, beautiful and sexy but you can't trust her, dangerous, superior
• Men - drink too much, earn too little, struggle under the weight of their cynicism

People in Film Noir desire to escape this world gone wrong. They are trapped in these spaces, trying to rip their way out of them. The inner monologue is often used to carry along the narrative.

The visuals of Film Noir are smoke, dimly lit streets and long shadows. It is monochrome, dark and moody.

This is achieved with very stylized Cinematography. The lighting is down low, with only 1 or 2 lighting sources. Low angle shots make characters appear taller as they come towards the camera to appear more menacing. Off-screen space was often used for violence to get round strict censorship laws but also because the audience will imagine something much worse than anything the film-maker might show.

The European film-makers who moved to America to escape the Nazis in WW2 brought new styles with them such as German expressionism, which heavily influenced Film Noir.

Noted Film Noir:

• Double Indemnity, by Billy Wilder - 1944
• In a Lonely Place, by Nicholas Ray - 1950
• The Killers by Robert Sidomak - 1946

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The Long Take

The long take " is an uninterrupted shot in a film which lasts much longer than the conventional editing pace either of the film itself or of films in general, usually lasting several minutes. It can be used for dramatic and narrative effect if done properly, and in moving shots is often accomplished through the use of a dolly or Steadicam. Long takes of a sequence filmed in one shot without any editing are rare in films" 1

The long take is something that really interests me as a film-maker, it's not something I've ever done before and I'm very keen to try it. Although it probably won't be anywhere near as impressive as some of the more well known examples of it.

One of the most famous uses of this is the opening scene of Touch of Evil by Orson Welles:

It's an amazing shot both technically and dramatically which ends with the explosion of the car.

Another great example is the corridor fight scene from OldBoy. Traditionally fight scenes involve a lot of different shots and quick editing. So it's really interesting to see it done in this way:

There's a great blog post with several more examples of the long take: Here

It's fascinating to see how different film-makers have used long shots. Alfred Hitchcock wanted to make his 1948 film Rope entirely in one continuous shot but due to the limits of how much film a camera could hold he was limited to 10 minutes at a time. The final film is made up of 11 shots that are cleverly edited together into one seamless take.

Snake Eyes is a great example of invisible cuts. The first 20 minutes of the film appears as one take, but there are 8 cuts clever hidden throughout. This is another aspect of long takes that I am keen to try.

Perhaps with a lot of practice with my steadycam and a dolly-track I could come up something half decent. We'll see.

Chase Sequences

I've had an idea for a film for a few years now that centres around a Parkour chase and in the last few days I have been getting back to it, developing the idea. This evening I watched a number of chase sequences on YouTube to give me some ideas for my film. Below are a few examples:

Inception Mombasa - Chase Scene

Rock n Rolla Chase sequence

Here's what I think makes up a good chase scene:

• The music
• A moving camera
• Quick editing
• A lull in the action followed by a sudden burst
• Flyovers
• Wide angle shots
• Elements of danger
• Clever sound design
• Documentary style shaky footage

What makes up a bad chase scene:

• Long shots of someone running in a straight line
• Film from one angle for too long.

I also found a short guide on filming chases: How to make a good chase scene

Information Overload: DoF Adapters

One of the limitations when shooting on video instead of on film stock is that Depth of Field can be more difficult to achieve. Also, when shooting on a cheaper camera instead of something you'd pay a few thousand a day to rent is the quality of the lens on it.

While searching for some other DIY film-making tutorials I found references to Depth of Field adapters. When I looked into it I found a couple of good definitions:

"DOF adapters are used on video cameras that have lenses that can’t produce the depth of field effect. The term 35mm adapter comes from the fact that most common designs use a focusing screen the size of a 35mm film frame (24×36 mm) and interface with lenses designed for 35mm cameras." 1

There was also a very lengthy explanation of the science behind it but it's hardly relevant. The main thing is that attaching a DoF adapter to even a cheap consumer handycam can produce some very interesting results:

This gives the video a nice 'film look' without the need for high end cameras or DSLRs. There are many, great examples and tutorials available online showing how to do this and I am definitely considering giving this a go.

I Do Love a Bit of DIY

Last semester I made a DIY Cam Slider. This is basically a mini dolly for making small tracking shots. I used it in my pairs project for Documentary which we did about Little John's Grave in Hathersage:

As you can see the tracking shots are rather jerky. This is due to the plate which the camera sits on not sliding smooth along the track. I hope to fix this by using skateboard wheels instead of clips.


While searching earlier for the full title of the Sony Z1 (it's Sony HVR-Z1E as it happens) I saw a link to follow focus devices for the Z1. I had a quick look and was disappointed to find out that they were over £300. This is clearly far too expensive so I searched to see if there was a cheaper way of doing it with DIY.

There is, for all of $1 you can make a cheap follow focus:

I think it may need some adapting for the Z1 but I will definitely be giving this a try some time this semester.

An Interesting Spot

I was sitting eating lunch in Proper Deli today after Drama. Matt, Harry and I were chatting about our upcoming Drama projects and discussing different ideas. I'd suggested perhaps doing a Film Noir or a period piece, perhaps something from the 20s. This would be more of a challenge to do because of the costumes and finding the right locations and may be perhaps something better done outside of the course as we would have more time to prepare. Regardless, as I was thinking about this I was looking out of the window we were sat next to and noticed that it could be an interesting backdrop to a detective or private eye sitting trying to crack the case.

Unfortunately the camera on my iPhone is a bit rubbish so the photos I took haven't come out all that well. Harry also looks rather bemused as I didn't tell him why I suddenly wanted to take a photo of him until after I had done so.





However, I like that now when I am struck with an idea or an image that I like I have a space that I can post it to and then come back to it a little later and elaborate on the idea that I had.

127 Hours

On Wednesday I went to see 127 Hours at The Showroom.



Written and Directed by Danny Boyle Director of Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire and 28 Days Later all of which I enjoyed thoroughly, my expectations were high. I was slightly skeptical that a film about a man stuck with his arm under a rock may be a bit boring though, however the use of flashbacks helped to keep this from happening.

The scene when Aron finally cuts off his arm is brilliantly done. The editing and the music/sound is used to great effect to increase the tension dramatically and despite being very gory the film somehow holds your gaze, you just can't look away.

Overall I enjoyed the film a lot, in part because of it being based on true events. Although I suspect it would be a lot less interesting the second time round.

Blogging on the iPad

I now have Blogspot set up on my iPad so I can quickly not down ideas or inspiration wherever I am. Or thats the plan at least.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

First Post

This is the first post of my blog for Creative Story Development and possibly for Drama too. This blog will contain my researches into film and my ideas, inspiration and other creative ideas that I have. I hope to expand my knowledge in various areas of film and develop several ideas that I can then potentially make into films.