My Role In My OTS

    As you may already know, I am working on my own in this project of making a film noir OTS and have therefore taken upon myself all the different roles in making a film.
   To understand what these roles are I have researched them to ensure I do all the jobs effectively and to a high standard. From my research I have discovered that there is a lot more involved in making a film, many smaller jobs I'm understanding for the first time.

Director - They direct the actors and crew in the scenes and controls the films artistic and dramatic aspect
 whilst still being able to guide the technical crew and actors. They develop the vision for a film and ensures it is carried out and turns the script into a sequence of shots deciding how the film should look, sometimes using storyboards to illustrate sequences and concepts. They also direct what tone it should take and what different audiences should gain from the cinematic experience. They decide camera angles, lens effects, set design and lighting and are often taking part in hiring key crew members. They are sometimes involved in the writing, financing and editing of a film.
 Every director is different in the methods that they use, some preferring to have lots of rigorous rehearsals, others just having a basic plotline, allowing their actors and actresses to improvise some of their dialogue. Other jobs include participating with the editor and in the sound mix and musical composition of the film, with them also advising on the colour grading of the final image.
   Som things I didn't know was that they sometimes use a director's viewfinder (a thing that looks like a monocular telescope that allows the director to see the scene as seen by the camera lens) to set up camera angles.

Cinematographer -  They photograph using a motion picture camera. They are often called director of photogaphy, which is generally the equivalent, but just a different name. Their jobs include designating a chief over the camera and lighting crews and are responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image. They select the film stock, lens, filters, aperture and shutter angle etc and the director will typically convey to the cinematographer what they visually want from a scene and will allow them latitude in achieving that effect.
In the American system, which is more widely adopted, the rest of the camera department is subordinate to the DP, who, along with the director, has the final word on all decisions related to both lighting and framing.

Editor - An editor is one that works closely with the director to work creatively with the layers of images, story, dialogue, music, pacing, as well as the actor's performances to effectively 're-imagine' and even rewrite the film to craft a cohesive whole. They assemble the footage, mechanically put pieces of film together, cut off film slates and edit dialogue scenes, but this isn't always their only job. They often play a dynamic role in the making of a film. 
''Film editing is an art that can be used in diverse ways. It can create sensually provocative montages; become a laboratory for experimental cinema; bring out the emotional truth in an actor's performance; create a point of view on otherwise obtuse events; guide the telling and pace of a story; create an illusion of danger where there is none; give emphasis to things that would not have otherwise been noted; and even create a vital subconscious emotional connection to the viewer, among many other possibilities.''- Wikipedia

Producer - They create the conditions for making movies. The producer initiates, coordinates, supervises, and controls matters such as raising funding, hiring key personnel, and arranging for distributors. They are involved throughout all phases of the film making process from development to completion of a project.

Casting Director -  They choose the actors for the characters of the film by inviting them to an audition to practise the script for the character they think they should be.

Production Designer  -  They are also known as the creative director. They are responsible for creating the physical, visual appearance of the film - settings, costumes, character makeup, all taken as a unit. The production designer works closely with the director and the cinematographer to make sure the 'look' of the film is achieved.

Set Designer - They are the draftsmen, often an architect, who realizes the structures or interior spaces called for by the production designer.

Location Manager - They oversee the locations department and its staff, typically reporting directly back to the production manager and/or Assistant Director (or even Director and/or Executive Producer). They are responsible for final clearing (or guaranteeing permission to use) a location for filming and must often assist Production/Finance Dept(s) in maintaining budget management regarding actual location/permit fees as well as labor costs to production for himself and the Locations Department at large.

Make-Up Artists -  They work with make-up, hair and special effects to create the characters look for anyone appearing in the film. Their main role is to manipulate an actor's on-screen appearance whether it makes them look more youthful, larger, older, or in some cases ugly or monstrous looking.There are also body makeup artists who concentrate their abilities on the body rather than the head.

Hairdresser - They are responsible for maintaining and styling the hair of anyone appearing on screen, and work in conjunction with the makeup artist.

Costume Designer - They are responsible for all the clothing and costumes worn by all the actors that appear on screen. They are also responsible for designing, planning, and organizing the construction of the garments down to the fabric, colors, and sizes. The costume designer works closely with the director to understand and interpret "character", and counsels with the production designer to achieve an overall tone of the film. In large productions, the costume designer will usually have one or more assistant costume designers.

Camera Operator - They use the camera at the direction of the cinematographer, director of photography, or the film director to capture the scenes on film. Generally, a cinematographer or director of photography does not operate the camera, but sometimes these jobs may be combined.

Production Sound Mixer - They are headof the sound department on set, responsible for recording all sound during filming. This involves the choice and deployment of microphones, operation of a sound recording device, and sometimes the mixing of audio signals in real time.

Gaffer - They are the head of the electrical department, responsible for the design and execution of the lighting plan for a production. Sometimes the gaffer is credited as "Chief Lighting Technician".

Sound Designer - Or "supervising sound editor", is in charge of the post-production sound of a movie. Sometimes this may involve great creative license, and other times it may simply mean working with the director and editor to balance the sound to their liking.

Sound Editor - Responsible for assembling and editing all the sound effects in the soundtrack.

Foley Artist - They are the people who create many of the sound effects for a film.


In the real world when making a film you have to go through these steps :

Development—The script is written and drafted into a workable blueprint for a film.

Pre-production—Preparations are made for the shoot, in which cast and crew are hired, locations are selected, and sets are built.

Production—The raw elements for the finished film are recorded.

Post-Production—The film is edited; production sound (dialogue) is concurrently (but separately) edited, music tracks (and songs) are composed, performed and recorded, if a film is sought to have a score; sound effects are designed and recorded; and any other computer-graphic 'visual' effects are digitally added, all sound elements are mixed into "stems" then the stems are mixed then married to picture and the film is fully completed ("locked").

Sales and distribution—The film is screened for potential buyers (distributors), is picked up by a distributor and reaches its cinema and/or home media audience

Technophobia.

Technophobia is the fear or dislike of advanced technology or complex devices, especially computers. And I think I may have this fear. I've never been a big fan of technology, steering more towards pen and paper, rather than a computer.

From this, I think I have overcome a lot of fears when it comes to technology. I've forced myself out of my comfort zone, overcoming blogger, prezi, vimeo and other technology related things, learning the basics and more.

 I have had to learn these things because I chose to work on my own, and am proud of myself to have learnt so much, with only some technical assistance.

Digital Media

The methods and elements I plan to use and incorporate into my blog, evaluation and final production (completed Film Noir OTS) are these :

Digital camera- to take photos to document how I am getting on, capturing images of some of my work to show on my blog. Also to advertise my film noir OTS by using a photo to create a film poster. Also, different photos that  I have found have inspired me in what style I want and what type of era I want it set in.
The Internet and Computer- will be very important for a lot of research into film noir and to help me with my OTS, and my evaluation and maybe audience feedback using the internet, with the editing software that will lead to the final production.
Mobile phone/Email- to contact people to organise when to film.
Video Camera- to capture all the footage that I will then edit to lead on to my finished final production after editing, also I will use a video camera to film me filming to see what my directing skills are like and to interview my cast to see what their opinions are.
Film- so I could research into different Film Noir's to help me in getting a idea in to what it is and what conventions they portray.  
Photoshop- to edit some of my photos that I am using to show my actors/actresses and characters, and locations and settings etc to fit in with the old film noie genre. I may also use this software to edit a photo and make it into a film poster to advertise my film noir.

In the lesson of the 18th of January

Have planned to do the majority of filming in the afternoon of thursday the 20th of January in the afternoon. Also have added more useful hyperlinks to help me with research into film and film noir and how these sites will help me with my OTS in different ways.

Further Ideas for my Film Noir OTS

Because i'm planning to have a gun shooting in my Film Noir I researched the different ways you could show it on various websites and I tried looking at some on youtube and found this video and even though I liked the effect, I think its a bit too in your face and disgusting looking.

I can't seem to find a still shot out of the film Micmacs, which is a french film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, so i'll just describe it. Basically he gets shot in the head and they do a high angle shot over him and you can slowly see the blood trickle down his head and instead of looking grotesque, it looks elegant and very arty, and this is what I want to achieve in mine.






My next idea fitted in with the fact that I want the song Screamin Jay Hawkins-I put a spell on you to be in it.

I saw the trailer for the film Nowhere Boy and instantly loved it because of how they had edited it to cut in time with the song I put a spell on you. This gave me the idea and encouragement me to try it in my own film, as I think it will give it an edge of how its silent and tense and then it cuts to this cheeky upbeat yet slightly creepy music when Jack is walking away from the scene of the crime, perhaps in time with the music?

The idea behind the silence creating immense tension was mostly my idea, but a film Noir that is similar and uses silence is 'The Man who wasn't there' (2001) Directed by Joel Coen

Task 2

      The media hasn't really been around for that long, 150 years isn't that long compared to the whole history of life. Pre-media times were around then, with theaters and reading being the leisure activities most popular, compared to todays lifestyle of cinemas, internet and video gaming. Since the media has arrived there has been certain worries from all sorts of people, such worries are that children aren't going out as much as they used to, and loads of people are experiencing the same piece of media alone without anyone there to differentiate good or bad, proving it to affect people in negative ways.

 

 Atomised - cut off from other people like separate atoms.

 A mass audience  - when a person is in amongst other people, eg listening to C.D's or sitting in the cinema, but are still different because they are separated from the other people in the mass by space or time.

   1.   I think that audiences do come from all 'walks of life' when it comes to different media texts, but this does depend on what your opinion would be of different sorts of people, for example Blumer thought they were ''of different class position, of different vocation, of different cultural attainment, and of different wealth''. Yes there will be your stereotypes of people that you will stereotype into what kind of programme you think they would watch, eg people would say that younger people watch more violent things or youth dramas with much more shocking content. The opposite end of the scale would be old people that you would stereotype to watch gardening programmes or crime dramas. 

    An example of a media text that I think all kinds of people come together as an audience is film. This is because its not only fans of the genre, it is also fans of the certain director (you often see in adverts it saying what the the director or producer has done before, to get fans of the older films to come and see their new one) or actors/actresses or to the extent of people just wanting to go and see the latest movie out, either to watch in the cinema, rent or buy.

2.    A lot of my media experience is when I am on my own because for example when it comes to the television, because of the diverse amount of programmes on, usually other family members would rather watch other ones, and because most people have their own televisions in their rooms, they go and watch it there to save arguments over the remote control.

   Internet and the computer is usually experienced on own because there is only one person at a time controlling it, adverts are viewed by you personally but in a global perspective, it is viewed by many a person. Gaming is usually done with more than one person to enhance the entertainment side of it, a popular thing being xbox live that lets you play with and talk to your friends through the game and internet connection.

 As Blumer said ''there exists little interaction or change of experience between members of the mass''.

3.  There are many ways to share your experiences of the media with other people who weren't around when you experienced it such as facebook and messaging using other social networks and discussing it. there are also now chat rooms on the internet specifically used for people to talk about certain media texts. Other ways to share would be through viral adverts that people watch sometimes without even wanting to, but have to, to then access another thing.

Task 1 of the Audience theory activity & understanding booklet

   I done a mind map spider diagram and then took a photo of it to upload on to my blog to show what types of media I come across in a typical day. Whilst I may not encounter every single one of the things on the diagram, I do most of them, somtimes sub-consciously, for example with the viral adverts or adverts on billboards. I have not included media types like game consoles such as xbox 360, video cameras, editing software, videos etc because they are more rare things that I would not come across in a typical day.

P.S - I forgot to put on my spider diagram one of the more obvious ones, a computer, with such things as word documents, powerpoint presentation, email etc.


   I think it is impossible to go through a day without encountering or seeing anything linked with the media in some form (unless you were to lock yourself in an empty room that is soundproofed, with your eyes shut). The media influences people in all sorts of ways, whether it is manipulating them to buy a product through advertising to the extremes of changing their personality to a more violent one through influental video games or movies etc. Throughout the tasks I will be investigating the relationship between the media and their audiences and will try and make sense of it all and eventually come to my own conclusion of it.

My Animatic

My Animatic from Bethany on Vimeo.

This is my animatic, I apologise for the terrible drawings and the weird sounding voice over top... which is mine.

Marking Criteria For the Evaluation

This post is the marking criteria for the evaluation of my Film Noir OTS, where the truth comes out of how it really went. I have put the criteria for grades C-D and A-B. Wish me luck!



The questions that must be addressed in the evaluation are:

• In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
• How does your media product represent particular social groups?
• What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
• Who would be the audience for your media product?
• How did you attract/address your audience?
• What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
• Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Level 3       12–15 marks    Grades C-D

• Proficient understanding of issues around audience, institution, technology, representation, forms and conventions in relation to production.
• Proficient ability to refer to the choices made and outcomes.
• Proficient understanding of their development from preliminary to full task.
• Proficient ability to communicate.
• Proficient skill in the use of digital technology or ICT in the evaluation

Level 4      16–20 marks    Grades A-B

• Excellent understanding of issues around audience, institution, technology, representation, forms and conventions in relation to production.
• Excellent ability to refer to the choices made and outcomes.
• Excellent understanding of their development from preliminary to full task.
• Excellent ability to communicate.
• Excellent skill in the use of digital technology or ICT in the evaluation

 

Marking Criteria For Research and Planning

This post is the marking criteria for the research and planning of my Film Noir OTS. The grade boundaries that I am showing is C-D and A-B.


Level 3     12–15 marks   Grades C-D

• There is proficient research into similar products and a potential target audience.
• There is proficient organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props.
• There is proficient work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding.
• There is a good level of care in the presentation of the research and planning
• Time management is good.

Level 4     16–20 marks   Grades A-B

•  There is excellent research into similar products and a potential target audience.
• There is excellent organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props.
• There is excellent work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding.
• There is an excellent level of care in the presentation of the research and planning
• Time management is excellent.

Marking Criteria For Video

I've posted this marking criteria to help me in understanding more clearly the things I have to do when it comes to filming. It is written in a vague yet helpful way, and will help me as a guidance in what I should be doing. I have put both the criteria and grade boundaries for the C-D and A-B grade. I feel that I could aim and fulfill the higher grades and am working at the C-D criteria. The marking criteria for these grades are as follows:


Level 3        36–47 marks     Grades C-D
There is evidence of proficiency in the creative use of many of the following technical skills:

• holding a shot steady, where appropriate;
• framing a shot, including and excluding elements as appropriate;
• using a variety of shot distances as appropriate;
• shooting material appropriate to the task set;
• selecting mise-en-scène including colour, figure, lighting, objects and setting;
• editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer;
• using varied shot transitions and other effects selectively and appropriately for the task set;
• using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set;
•  using titles appropriately.

Level 4      48–60 marks       Grades A-B

There is evidence of excellence in the creative use of most of the following technical skills:

• holding a shot steady, where appropriate;
• framing a shot, including and excluding elements as appropriate;
• using a variety of shot distances as appropriate;
• shooting material appropriate to the task set;
• selecting mise-en-scène including colour, figure, lighting, objects and setting;
• editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer;
• using varied shot transitions and other effects selectively and appropriately for the task set;
• using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set;
• using titles appropriately.

Marking Criteria for Unit G321 : Foundation Portfolio in Media

 This is the marking criteria for our portfolio on our blogs in our Media AS course. To me personally I think I might be aiming at an A-B but most definitely will be reaching a C-D so I will show both sets of marking criteria.

Level 3           36–47 marks          Grades C-D 

There is evidence of proficiency in the creative use of many of the following technical skills:

• framing a shot, including and excluding elements as appropriate;
• using a variety of shot distances as appropriate;
• shooting material appropriate to the task set;
• selecting mise-en-scène including colour, figure, lighting, objects and setting;
• manipulating photographs as appropriate to the context for presentation, including cropping and resizing;
• accurately using language and register;
• appropriately integrating illustration and text;
• showing understanding of conventions of layout and page design;
• showing awareness of the need for variety in fonts and text size;
• using ICT appropriately for the task set.

Level 4           48–60 marks        Grades A-B

There is evidence of excellence in the creative use of most of the following technical skills:

• framing a shot, including and excluding elements as appropriate;
• using a variety of shot distances as appropriate;
• shooting material appropriate to the task set;
• selecting mise-en-scène including colour, figure, lighting, objects and setting;
• manipulating photographs as appropriate to the context for presentation, including cropping and resizing;
• accurately using language and register;
• appropriately integrating illustration and text;
• showing understanding of conventions of layout and page design;
• showing awareness of the need for variety in fonts and text size;
• using ICT appropriately for the task set.

2 things i've realised today.

1. That when it comes to the blog layout, or mine in particular, the bit on the right hand side next to the posts, with the hyperlinks in, is white (or sometimes black) and you can actually see the writing on a windows computer, but on an apple mac you can't. So all that struggling to change it on the mac was pointless (arghh !!), sums up most of my experiences with technology I suppose :)

2.  That I have like a photographic mind (no, not where I can take a photo in my head and remember something down to every detail) when it comes to planning. I want to see everything in front of me before I can begin to think about what happens next. So I think because I have done photography for so long, and have only filmed a music video, documentary and other little things, I think I have gotten used to the simplenss and quickness of setting up a shot for a photo. I find it hard to visualise the whole thing and to imagine it, I have the ideas but I would rather just do it there and then when I think of it. But, alas I know it doesn't work like that and I know that to be successful when it comes to planning I have to do the dreaded long process of storyboarding or trying out a different thing like an animatic where I could also speak over it to tell the audience the camera shots, or editing and transitions that I plan to have in my film Noir OTS.

A film noir inspired piece about a lonely man who meets a mysterious woman in a bar By Tara Lee Knight

Killing Time from Tara Lee Knight on Vimeo.


   I searched vimeo to find some film noir style mini films that would have a sort of bar or another scene similar to how I want my scenes to look, from a young film maker like myself. I found this one and while I do like the sin-city neo-noir almost animated style of the setting of the outside of the bar, and think the narration fits in with the film noir conventions, with the close-up shots building tension, concentrating on the two main characters chemistry. I'm not too sure if the australian accent (not that I have anything against it) fits in with the film noir style, it's just not the accent you would expect to hear. The femme fatale seductions works well but in my OTS I'm going to have Jack (the anti-hero) seduce the femme fatale and let him have the power over her situation.
   I like the shots of the eyes and lips to show emotion and seduction, but some shots don't seem elegant enough, like the quick close-up of him putting out his cigarette, whereas in mine I want Jack to lightly tap the cigarette into the ash tray. I like the shadows created and the almost silhouettes, which add to the mystery, but think the ending of it is quite a change in pace compared to beginning and middle. I think its a bit too sudden and graphic and gory, and makes it slightly comedic, but perhaps she wanted this affect, to break the tension suddenly instead of slowly or not at all.

Stereotype and representation

I need to think about ways of framing iconic images in a way thats familiar to audiences but still has some of my own Bethany originality.

 In my first scene at the "bar" I thought about using the classic close-up shot of the man holding a cigarette, tapping the ash into the ash tray. I wouldn't put too much emphasis on this though as I dont want to lose the elegance of film noir.

I found this image when I typed 'stubbing a cigarette out' into google images, but I wouldn't use it in my film noir as it looks like it fits in more with the western genre what with the costume and how the man is choosing to put out the cigarette.

I like this photo because you can see the trail of smoke, it makes the photo look delicate and the way the hand looks as though its about to tap the ash off fits in with how I want it, but I don't like how its so there in your face as the other photo in black and white is more abstract and you realy have to concentrate on what it is to reveal it.

I like how this photo of a man (or is it a man?) and cigarette is silhouetted, this fits in with the stereotypical mysterious of the film noir genre. I think its a very well took photo, working well with the rule of thirds. 

In the photo on the left the attention is far too much on the cigarette with the background and person being blurred with the small depth of field, it looks too youthful and I want it to be all about the character, with the cigarette being but a prop that only eccentuates the tough character of Jack like in the photo on the right. 



Location, Location, Location

For my first scene, I wanted to create this type of bar/restaurante, a public place, where typically two of the main characters would meet to create and set the scene and the beginning of the OTS. I'm planning on creating this table (with a strong contrasting spotlight to draw attention onto the characters), in my living room, initially putting a room inside a room to create this closed in threatening atmosphere.

Photos by Jim Ferreira.     His website is in the hyperlinks down the right side of my blog under the category name of 'Inspirations of Film Noir'.