Jason Torres: Power that Pops
1. What was their research question?
Power Through Lighting and Color in International Cinema
2. What areas did they choose to focus on in their comparisons?
Jason chose to focus on color and lighting and how they portray individual and hegemonic power.
3. How did they incorporate sources both primary and secondary into their doc.
He uses quotes from the Director of Photography and the actual films as his primary sources. He used secondary sources from people who write about film to help him understand his concept better and to supplement and support his claims.
Carmen Carillo: Political Thrillers
1. What was their research question?
Unknown (What makes the Manchurian Candidate and Z a political thriller?)
2. What areas did they choose to focus on in their comparisons?
She chose to focus on camera movements, editing of scenes, the tension in scenes that is felt by the audience, and the general emotional reaction the audience has to certain events and how these reactions are what make up the thrills found in political thrillers.
3. How did they incorporate sources both primary and secondary into their doc.
Director interview with Gavras and shots from the films reflecting what she is talking about are her primary sources. She used secondary sources to provide herself with base knowledge.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Independant Research Script
1. Research Topic and Question
Topic: Heist Films
Question: “How does plot structure contribute to the thrill experienced in Heist films?”
2. Films that you plan to use in your analysis
Bob le Flambeur Dir. by Jean-Pierre Melville. Studiocanal Image, 1956.
The Silent Partner Dir. by Daryl Duke. Carolco Pictures, 1977
Die Hard Dir. By John McTiernan. Twentieth Century Fox, 1988.
Reservoir Dogs Dir. by Quentin Tarantino. Miramax Films, 1992.
3. 3 areas to focus on in comparison-
What kind of heist film is this?
Which part of the 3-act structure of a heist is used?
How does plot type create a thrill?
Topic: Heist Films
Question: “How does plot structure contribute to the thrill experienced in Heist films?”
2. Films that you plan to use in your analysis
Bob le Flambeur Dir. by Jean-Pierre Melville. Studiocanal Image, 1956.
The Silent Partner Dir. by Daryl Duke. Carolco Pictures, 1977
Die Hard Dir. By John McTiernan. Twentieth Century Fox, 1988.
Reservoir Dogs Dir. by Quentin Tarantino. Miramax Films, 1992.
3. 3 areas to focus on in comparison-
What kind of heist film is this?
Which part of the 3-act structure of a heist is used?
How does plot type create a thrill?
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Final Project Film Idea
group members: Anthony Blasko, Alejandro Curiel, Ashley Rich, Gino Santoro
Log-line: a guy meets a girl by chance and they quickly cancel their plans to spend time with each other.
Treatment:
guy is sitting on a bench on a pier, with his morning coffee, laptop bag next to him.
a girl walks past him also with her morning coffee and settles in looking over the rail.
he sees her and thinks for a second. he then gets up and goes next to her.
she sizes him up really quickly. he takes out a pen and a piece of paper and writes something on it. he passes the note to her across the rail.
she sees it and looks at him briefly before opening the note. she then reaches into her bag and takes out a pen.
she writes something on the note and hands it back to him. he picks it up then reads it and smiles.
he writes something on it and when he looks to put it on the rail, he doesnt see her. she is gone
he quickly looks around and can’t seem to find her. he sits back down on the bench with his head held low.
short time lapse shows that he has finished his coffee. he gets up to throw it away and when he looks back at the spot where he met her, there is a note held down by a rock.
he looks around first to see if anyone is there. he places his coffee cup on top of the trash can and then he walks to the note and reads it.
he then quickly turns around to see her standing there, holding a notebook in her hand. she opens it up to show him a planner with a day completely crossed out. we understand that its today.
the guy goes over to his bad and takes out his day planner. she walks over to the trash can, drinking the last of her coffee. she also puts her cup on the trash can. we see him crosse someting out. we understand it to be his schedule for the day.
when he looks up again, she is gone. but this time he looks around and she is simply standing near the end of the pier, waiting for him.
he hurriedly places the planner back in his bag and runs to catch up with her.
we get a final shot of their two coffee cups as he catches up with her in the background. they are blurred out and the coffee cups are the last shot. the designs on the coffee cups form a heart between them.
Genre influences:
i dont exactly know what genre this is, but it definitely has the feel of a romantic playfulness scene. for this, the characters are going to be flirtatious and spontaneous.
the setting is also rather romantic because it is a pier where one might go on a date at night. but by setting it in the morning, there is less of the serious romance implied and it also gives the characters the opportunity to have the entire day for themselves once they decide to spend the day together.
the conflict here isn't a big one. trying to preserve the rather light hearted tone in the scene, the conflict is basically just him failing at picking a girl up. we could exaggerate the conflict by stressing somewhat on his disappointment and that he might take it a bit too hard that she disappeared.
Themes:
a theme that this film develops is definitely “some forms of happiness require spontaneity”
if he wouldn't have been spontaneous, he wouldn't have gotten the girl. if she wouldn't have been spontaneous, she wouldn't have the great time she is about to have.
influences:
Log-line: a guy meets a girl by chance and they quickly cancel their plans to spend time with each other.
Treatment:
guy is sitting on a bench on a pier, with his morning coffee, laptop bag next to him.
a girl walks past him also with her morning coffee and settles in looking over the rail.
he sees her and thinks for a second. he then gets up and goes next to her.
she sizes him up really quickly. he takes out a pen and a piece of paper and writes something on it. he passes the note to her across the rail.
she sees it and looks at him briefly before opening the note. she then reaches into her bag and takes out a pen.
she writes something on the note and hands it back to him. he picks it up then reads it and smiles.
he writes something on it and when he looks to put it on the rail, he doesnt see her. she is gone
he quickly looks around and can’t seem to find her. he sits back down on the bench with his head held low.
short time lapse shows that he has finished his coffee. he gets up to throw it away and when he looks back at the spot where he met her, there is a note held down by a rock.
he looks around first to see if anyone is there. he places his coffee cup on top of the trash can and then he walks to the note and reads it.
he then quickly turns around to see her standing there, holding a notebook in her hand. she opens it up to show him a planner with a day completely crossed out. we understand that its today.
the guy goes over to his bad and takes out his day planner. she walks over to the trash can, drinking the last of her coffee. she also puts her cup on the trash can. we see him crosse someting out. we understand it to be his schedule for the day.
when he looks up again, she is gone. but this time he looks around and she is simply standing near the end of the pier, waiting for him.
he hurriedly places the planner back in his bag and runs to catch up with her.
we get a final shot of their two coffee cups as he catches up with her in the background. they are blurred out and the coffee cups are the last shot. the designs on the coffee cups form a heart between them.
Genre influences:
i dont exactly know what genre this is, but it definitely has the feel of a romantic playfulness scene. for this, the characters are going to be flirtatious and spontaneous.
the setting is also rather romantic because it is a pier where one might go on a date at night. but by setting it in the morning, there is less of the serious romance implied and it also gives the characters the opportunity to have the entire day for themselves once they decide to spend the day together.
the conflict here isn't a big one. trying to preserve the rather light hearted tone in the scene, the conflict is basically just him failing at picking a girl up. we could exaggerate the conflict by stressing somewhat on his disappointment and that he might take it a bit too hard that she disappeared.
Themes:
a theme that this film develops is definitely “some forms of happiness require spontaneity”
if he wouldn't have been spontaneous, he wouldn't have gotten the girl. if she wouldn't have been spontaneous, she wouldn't have the great time she is about to have.
influences:
one influence we found was the short film “Victim” by Christian Ramos on Vimeo. this film influenced the whole pier-date idea and how the two characters at one point were standing next to each other, but facing away from each other. "VICTIM" film
i also drew some inspiration from the music video of “our kind of love” by lady antebellum. this influenced me in wanting to keep the whole thing light hearted. the video never gets serious about the relationship and there is never drama. the whole thing is fun and spontaneous and flirty. they're just having a good time. i wanted this film to be like that as well.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Sound Unit Pre-production
Logline:A guy finds a picture of a girl holding up a peace sign. He can't put the picture down and gets hit by a car. The picture now shows the girl holding up 3 fingers.
a guy is walking on the street. he sees a picture on the ground of a pretty girl. he picks it up and a eerie/romantic sound plays.
he keeps walking but can't stop looking at the picture. the sound plays again. he steps on a rake and hits himself in the forehead.
he rubs his face but keeps walking. he turns into his house and walks into the kitchen.
the sound plays again and he slips on the wet floor. he falls and brings dishes crashing down on him. he has a hard time getting up but is able to make it up to his room and fall down to his bed.
the scene fades out and back in with him sitting on his windowsill, looking at the picture. he is mesmerized by the picture. he begins to fall asleep.
he falls out the window and hits the ground. we see him bleed out from his head. the picture floats down to the ground. the girl is now holding up 3 fingers. the sound plays again. the camera slowly pans up from the picture to reveal another guy finding the picture. there will be parallels between how the first guy finds the picture and how the second guy finds the picture.
fade.
how the treatment meets the requirements:
Narrative:
Sound Design plays an important role in the development of character, setting and conflict.(Explain How)
the sound charcterizes the picture as enchanting. there will also be foley sounds and loud sounds to act as the jarring occurances where he gets hurt. most sound will be synchronous with some of it being added in as necessary. the nondiegetic sound that playts each time he gets injured develops the conflict.
Production Elements:
Foley Sound Effects incorporated in film either realistically or expressively.
foley sounds will include the bowls falling, the rake slapping him, door opening, him falling, etc... The foley sounds will be realistic because the film is going to be as realist as possible, with the exception of the ending.
Rhythmic match at some point in the film's edit
none
Sound Bridge as a scene transition
there will be a sound bridge when he goes to sleep and wakes up. probably birds or something
Sound Montage or Leitmotif tied to character
the eerie/romantic sound tied to the picture and misfortune
a guy is walking on the street. he sees a picture on the ground of a pretty girl. he picks it up and a eerie/romantic sound plays.
he keeps walking but can't stop looking at the picture. the sound plays again. he steps on a rake and hits himself in the forehead.
he rubs his face but keeps walking. he turns into his house and walks into the kitchen.
the sound plays again and he slips on the wet floor. he falls and brings dishes crashing down on him. he has a hard time getting up but is able to make it up to his room and fall down to his bed.
the scene fades out and back in with him sitting on his windowsill, looking at the picture. he is mesmerized by the picture. he begins to fall asleep.
he falls out the window and hits the ground. we see him bleed out from his head. the picture floats down to the ground. the girl is now holding up 3 fingers. the sound plays again. the camera slowly pans up from the picture to reveal another guy finding the picture. there will be parallels between how the first guy finds the picture and how the second guy finds the picture.
fade.
how the treatment meets the requirements:
Narrative:
Sound Design plays an important role in the development of character, setting and conflict.(Explain How)
the sound charcterizes the picture as enchanting. there will also be foley sounds and loud sounds to act as the jarring occurances where he gets hurt. most sound will be synchronous with some of it being added in as necessary. the nondiegetic sound that playts each time he gets injured develops the conflict.
Production Elements:
Foley Sound Effects incorporated in film either realistically or expressively.
foley sounds will include the bowls falling, the rake slapping him, door opening, him falling, etc... The foley sounds will be realistic because the film is going to be as realist as possible, with the exception of the ending.
Rhythmic match at some point in the film's edit
none
Sound Bridge as a scene transition
there will be a sound bridge when he goes to sleep and wakes up. probably birds or something
Sound Montage or Leitmotif tied to character
the eerie/romantic sound tied to the picture and misfortune
Monday, December 13, 2010
The Hurt Locker Analysis
1. Opening Remarks
The Hurt Locker. An ambiguous title for an equally ambiguously interpretable film. The narrative centers around Bravo Company EOD division and their rotation in the Iraq War. We are taken along on their missions and with each new task, we are revealed more about their characters. each plot development brings us closer to what their realities are in the war and how each is dealing with the constant stress of battle.
2. Context
The film was made in 2009, 6 years after the start of the Iraq War. It comes out during a waning of public support for the war and growing resentment towards the political leaders who remain indecisive. It also competes with the year's top blockbuster, Avatar, for recognition, in fact beating out the blue-planet themed film for best picture. It capitalizes on the theme of moral depravity located in a morally sun-baked landscape. The powerful message hits home with many viewers because it evokes sympathy in the viewers for the men who face death on a daily basis for our liberties, seeing as we get a glimpse into the hell of their daily routine.
3. Setting, Acting, Costume
The setting, Iraq, is no surprise for a war film about the 21st century. It's hot, dry, and merciless.
The acting to accompany the setting is in my opinion executed really well. You get the feel for each soldier's character and they all give off a stunning performance. Costume as well was nicely handled. They were very realistic and believable utility uniforms. The whole of these three serves to create a feel of realism in the whole movie, which in turn delivers a greater punch on the metaphysical level.
4. Cinematography and Lighting
The cinematography was done in the expected documentary style. Hand held takes, long duration of shots, realistic and objective capturing of footage. Although it is a documentary style of film making, it is more Hollywood in its composition. They depend largely on natural light since most of the footage is outside in the hot Middle-eastern sun, and as such, most of the film has a yellowish hue to it. Yet because this is a documentary type film, many of the staging is natural. The false feel to the movie can easily be misinterpreted to make it not seem like a work of friction.
5. Editing
The editing is done much in the same way that a Hollywood film is edited. The only difference between the two is that the Hurt Locker capitalizes more on the reality of the situation. We do see however a strong manipulation of time in the documentary in a way that completely departs from its genre. There are some situations that are repeated several times simply for the emphasis. The pacing is also different from a traditional movie, with long takes be dropped in favor of shorter, intermediate takes.
6. Score
The score in this movie is powerful, consisting of a wide range of sources, it conveys exactly the mood we're supposed to feel at that moment in the film. This is another way that it strays form a traditional documentary. We are being spoon fed what to think instead of being allowed to make our own opinions about the topic. Also, sound effects of anything at all, very well accentuating what needs to be accentuated and all sounds are essentially used. In this sound design, it should be noted the mixing of the use of western and middle eastern audio tracks in the score.
7. Script
The narrative in mainly linear, with time lapses occurring between scenes. It seems to me as if the plot were more character driven because with each new mission they go on, we discover something new about the characters and their relationships with each other. Many of the humor also comes form the subtext, like when Beckham tries to sell him dvd's again. The movie also does a good job highlighting the issues involved in war and what it does to the men who fight in it.
8. Genre
The Genre is most obviously a documentary. But as mentioned before, it is more of a neo-documentary due to its departure from the overly extensive realistic shots. There is also some clear manipulation of the footage in the editing. Some sequences when something will explode five times just so that we are able to take it in from 5 different angles. It meets the Genre in that it does document the rotation of an EOD unit, but also subverts the genre with the simple fact that much of it is choreographed and planned to create a story. The director clearly has a story to tell and it is her story that we hear mainly, not the story of the soldiers.
9. Closing Remarks
So overall, The Hurt Locker is definitely one of the more artfully crafted documentaries, even though it does try to shake off some of the constraints imposed by the genre.
The Hurt Locker. An ambiguous title for an equally ambiguously interpretable film. The narrative centers around Bravo Company EOD division and their rotation in the Iraq War. We are taken along on their missions and with each new task, we are revealed more about their characters. each plot development brings us closer to what their realities are in the war and how each is dealing with the constant stress of battle.
2. ContextThe film was made in 2009, 6 years after the start of the Iraq War. It comes out during a waning of public support for the war and growing resentment towards the political leaders who remain indecisive. It also competes with the year's top blockbuster, Avatar, for recognition, in fact beating out the blue-planet themed film for best picture. It capitalizes on the theme of moral depravity located in a morally sun-baked landscape. The powerful message hits home with many viewers because it evokes sympathy in the viewers for the men who face death on a daily basis for our liberties, seeing as we get a glimpse into the hell of their daily routine.
The setting, Iraq, is no surprise for a war film about the 21st century. It's hot, dry, and merciless.
The acting to accompany the setting is in my opinion executed really well. You get the feel for each soldier's character and they all give off a stunning performance. Costume as well was nicely handled. They were very realistic and believable utility uniforms. The whole of these three serves to create a feel of realism in the whole movie, which in turn delivers a greater punch on the metaphysical level.
4. Cinematography and Lighting
The cinematography was done in the expected documentary style. Hand held takes, long duration of shots, realistic and objective capturing of footage. Although it is a documentary style of film making, it is more Hollywood in its composition. They depend largely on natural light since most of the footage is outside in the hot Middle-eastern sun, and as such, most of the film has a yellowish hue to it. Yet because this is a documentary type film, many of the staging is natural. The false feel to the movie can easily be misinterpreted to make it not seem like a work of friction.
The editing is done much in the same way that a Hollywood film is edited. The only difference between the two is that the Hurt Locker capitalizes more on the reality of the situation. We do see however a strong manipulation of time in the documentary in a way that completely departs from its genre. There are some situations that are repeated several times simply for the emphasis. The pacing is also different from a traditional movie, with long takes be dropped in favor of shorter, intermediate takes.
The score in this movie is powerful, consisting of a wide range of sources, it conveys exactly the mood we're supposed to feel at that moment in the film. This is another way that it strays form a traditional documentary. We are being spoon fed what to think instead of being allowed to make our own opinions about the topic. Also, sound effects of anything at all, very well accentuating what needs to be accentuated and all sounds are essentially used. In this sound design, it should be noted the mixing of the use of western and middle eastern audio tracks in the score.
The narrative in mainly linear, with time lapses occurring between scenes. It seems to me as if the plot were more character driven because with each new mission they go on, we discover something new about the characters and their relationships with each other. Many of the humor also comes form the subtext, like when Beckham tries to sell him dvd's again. The movie also does a good job highlighting the issues involved in war and what it does to the men who fight in it.
8. Genre
The Genre is most obviously a documentary. But as mentioned before, it is more of a neo-documentary due to its departure from the overly extensive realistic shots. There is also some clear manipulation of the footage in the editing. Some sequences when something will explode five times just so that we are able to take it in from 5 different angles. It meets the Genre in that it does document the rotation of an EOD unit, but also subverts the genre with the simple fact that much of it is choreographed and planned to create a story. The director clearly has a story to tell and it is her story that we hear mainly, not the story of the soldiers.
9. Closing Remarks
So overall, The Hurt Locker is definitely one of the more artfully crafted documentaries, even though it does try to shake off some of the constraints imposed by the genre.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Documentary Pre-Production
Reyes
Purpose: To show the struggles of a man dedicated to a goal in the face of overwhelming odds.
Contacts: The subject, his recruiter, his friends, family, support in general
Interview Questions:
What was your initial situation?
What challenges did you or are you facing?
Explain what you do to overcome these challenges.
What is the motivating force behind what you do?
How has your life changed since you became dedicated?
General Flow:
The film is going to start with some b-roll of him working out. He will explain his situation to the audience and introduce the challenge he has.
In the middle, we will have him tell us about how is life is like now that he had to change. He will tell us about what he does to improve and how he will attain his goal.
The end will be an update on his situation, what is looks like in the present. Then he will end with an inspirational viewpoint on what he expects will happen and if he will succeed.
Scripts:
There is no script yet because there is no b-roll and no interviews yet. The entirety of the script will be created upon acquiring the interviews and the b-roll. The story will be created in the edit. For an idea of what the script will be like, look at the general flow.
Shot List-
- BS of interviewees
- CU of working out
- MS of him going about daily life
- WEV of workout
- Handheld shots following him ie. Documentary style
- Other creative shots once we get an interview
Intro: His name is John Reyes. He has two goals. Lose the weight, and become a Marine.
Closing: --no closer. Film will end on an inspirational note form the interview.--
Purpose: To show the struggles of a man dedicated to a goal in the face of overwhelming odds.
Contacts: The subject, his recruiter, his friends, family, support in general
Interview Questions:
What was your initial situation?
What challenges did you or are you facing?
Explain what you do to overcome these challenges.
What is the motivating force behind what you do?
How has your life changed since you became dedicated?
General Flow:
The film is going to start with some b-roll of him working out. He will explain his situation to the audience and introduce the challenge he has.
In the middle, we will have him tell us about how is life is like now that he had to change. He will tell us about what he does to improve and how he will attain his goal.
The end will be an update on his situation, what is looks like in the present. Then he will end with an inspirational viewpoint on what he expects will happen and if he will succeed.
Scripts:
There is no script yet because there is no b-roll and no interviews yet. The entirety of the script will be created upon acquiring the interviews and the b-roll. The story will be created in the edit. For an idea of what the script will be like, look at the general flow.
Shot List-
- BS of interviewees
- CU of working out
- MS of him going about daily life
- WEV of workout
- Handheld shots following him ie. Documentary style
- Other creative shots once we get an interview
Intro: His name is John Reyes. He has two goals. Lose the weight, and become a Marine.
Closing: --no closer. Film will end on an inspirational note form the interview.--
Short Documentary Review: "Misssey"
The narrative of this documentary explains the tragic life of teenage prostitution. It details how Misssey was created and its mission. It consults the views of its members, former prostitutes, and organizers. All interviewees detail their experience with under-aged prostitution and how they ended up with Misssey. The film works well in its narrative because with each new interviewee, the story gets more and more personal, more and more detailed. We can literally visualize the tragedies of these girls being picked up off the street by pimps. At one point, we get detailed descriptions of the horrors these children suffer through because of their situation. It gets really horrible and we are left with a bitter taste of disgust in our mouths.
This is furthered by the general apathy of our society towards this topic and the trend of inaction that is shown through spectators, those aware of the situation, and those who will look at this documentary and do nothing. But again, the really punch in this documentary comes from the personal ties the interviewees have to the situation and the inspirational stories some of them share provoke a sense of hope in us, and in the kids who have the misfortune to fall into this situation and have the chance to see this documentary.
2
The camera work is pretty varied. The interviews all have the same, slightly skewed, bust shot framing, but the b-roll is definitely more varied. There are cropped frames, low viewpoints, tight close-ups, dolly shots from a car, and shaky shots used for stylistic effect. But it should be noted that most shots are simply of talking heads. The b-roll for this story is limited by the fact that you cannot get some of this footage because it is too dangerous, because of privacy constraints, etc… Yet the b-roll is not what makes this film. It’s the story. Although, to make the shots more powerful, I would have added a “crier.” It sounds crude, but with a sad topic like this, I would have added an interviewee who is prone to crying when telling her story near the middle to really accentuate the seriousness of this topic.
Just the shot of the emotion connected to the story would help convey the story so much better, because then it really lifts us up when we see the bright side of this organization’s work.
The editing is nothing special. It is simple cutting between talking heads and b-roll. The editing of the b-roll itself is not too special either. They really stayed with simple cuts in this project, occasionally throwing in a cross-dissolve.
The audio is melancholic at times, made up of a simple score. Occasionally the music takes over in times of silence and sometimes there is no audio at all. The audio is composed mostly of the interviews, which I think, is perfectly fine because we focus on the story and not the sounds. There is a lot of information to take in and if the score were any louder or more diverse, it would be overpowering and we would lose the focus of the film.
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