Module 2

So onto the 2nd module 'Creative Media Practice'.

Jump Cut

The first assignment in this module is based on video 'jump cutting'. The brief is that time is running out and you have to be somewhere fast! We were asked to create a short film in which a person needs to be somewhere else NOW! They have two minutes to make it and obstacles shouldn't stand in their way. Again all of the shot types (CU, MS, LS etc) used in the first film assignment were to be used. However, there was to be no continuity cutting or hidden editing. Instead the sequence required use of the jump cut technique to add energy and a contemporary feel. For our film my group decided that the story behind this would be based on a groom who has woken up on the streets after his stag night and realises he has to get to the church for his wedding. We decided to use a parallel edit to help tell the story. The action switched from the calm of the bride getting ready for her wedding whilst the groom is rushing to get home to change and make his way to get to the church on time. I've attached some screenshots of the shoot. Unfortunately it wasn't a happy ending for the groom as the bride jilted him at the alter, she ran off with another man!

It was good fun shooting the film even though I got some funny looks in Wrexham running around in a suit tripping over and banging into things in the street! It's hard work being an actor! Thanks to my team members Dawn, Gemma, Janet & Sue. The film was entitled 'See John Run'.




Audio

The second assignment was entitled 'Audio'. It focussed on sound track production and introduced digital editing techniques. We were asked to listen to the radio and produce a soundtrack using digital cut and splice techniques. I recorded exerts from news items and chat shows to produce one entertaining sound track. I really enjoyed this assignment although it was quite a challenge obtaining all of the pieces to create the final track (I had to listen to hours of radio!).

Vox Pops

Two assignments were set for the 3rd week of this module. A video in the 'Vox Pops' style and series of photographs based on reportage were required. For the Vox Pops we decided to interview a number of students about the social life around the University and how it varied between age groups. Audio was a problem on the shoot as there was lots of background noise and the microphone built into the camera wasn't very good. We used the sound room for some of the recording which was much better although the feedback we had was that this wasn't really what Vox Pops was about.

Reportage

For the reportage assignment I decided to produce a mini portfolio  (10 images) of abandoned industry in the Wrexham area. I focussed on the Minera open cast lime mines and also a local colliery at Rhos that had been closed down. We also made a visit to an old lead mine near Wrexham. The first image is of the wheel at the top of the mine shaft, it was used to operate the lift. The sun was setting at the time so I got a nice shot in 'contre jour'.

The second shot is inside one of the lime kilns in Minera. It was pitch black down there so I had to use the flash. I changed the settings to second curtain and a strange effect occurred, nearest to the camera the wall is in focus however at distance towards the back of the kiln the shot is slightly blurred. I think this creates an eerie effect! As you can see in the final photo I've posted there was snow on the ground and it was very cold! There were  lots of old abandoned tools and barrels that had once been used by the industry, but long since left to rust.

Photography 2
This assignment introduced competencies in creative photography with emphasis on colour theory and development of the photographic eye. We were asked to produce 3 colour images for each of the following subjects : Monocolour, complimentary and analogous colour. Analogous colours are those that are adjacent to each other on the colour wheel as shown below:

Below are a couple of the photos I produced:

The photo on the left is one of the shots that I took for the analogous colour, the dark blues and purples of the clouds. The second photo demonstrates rhythm. The bikes, roof line and cars all contribute.




We were also asked to produce one picture for each of the following subjects: High viewpoint looking down, low viewpoint looking up, rhythm, frames within frames and window reflection. Below are some of the shots I produced:

The photograph on the left was taken at the gardens of Chirk Castle. I used this for my frame within frame shot. The one on the right is the low viewpoint looking up. I thought the trees worked particularly well for this shot.







Parallel Action
The brief for the final assignment in this module was to create a short live action sequence to show understanding of 'parallel action'. Again a range of shot types was required and it was important to work as a team to produce a satisfactory result. As I'd been the main actor in the two previous films I decided I wanted to get behind the camera for this particular film. We'd previously had experience of parallel edit in our 'See John Run' film so knew what was expected. Having had primarily fast moving chase scenes in the last two films we decided to slow the action down for this one. The story flipped between a female character in an institution and another person who was doing normal every day things such as making tea and walking the dog. However, things aren't quite as they seem as the character supposedly doing the normal everyday task starts to see things (e.g. a doll) that was owned by her twin sister. It then transpires that the sister killed her twin in a car crash and has since 'gone off the rails' and unfortunately ended up in an institution. The film is called 'Dark Symmetery'. Below are some photos of the shoot:










Well that's it for module 2! Stay tuned for the next!

First Assignments

Welcome to my first ever blog! After writing things down on paper for many years I've finally decided to create an online blog.

I'm studying a BA (Hons) degree in Film & Photography hence the name of the blog.

I've just completed the first semester module assignments and will use my first few blog entries to write a bit about my experiences whilst working on each one of these. I'll also include some images and film clips where possible to try to keep it interesting! For future assignments (And once I catch up!) I'll blog as I go along rather than wait until the end of the module!

Ok here goes......My first module was all about design language and its purpose is to introduce students to some of the theories and approaches to design methodology and practices. The brief for the very first assignment was to pick two objects (e.g. teapot & teacup, padlock & key) and draw 27 different layouts using a storyboard template. I chose a couple of items that I had on me which were a mobile phone and key. I've scanned a couple of the pictures so you can see what I drew. It was quite a challenge to draw 27 different compositions but I got there in the end!

Being a film and photography student I was a bit surprised to be asked to draw but having completed the assignment I could definitely see the rationale in helping me to achieve depth and interest with my compositions. I was quite pleased with the outcome considering it had been some time since I'd put pencil to paper!

The 2nd assignment was also a task that required illustrations but was film based. The aim was to introduce us to picture composition and layout skills which would help develop an understanding of film language and its use. It would also help improve drawing and presentation skills, both important when creating storyboards for films.

A number of shot types had to be drawn (Close up, long shot, medium long shot etc) and we were required to draw person entering a doorway, face registering emotion, street viewpoint, a hand holding an object, exchanging an item, and some extra shots that tell a story. I decided to go for a lottery win theme. To set the scene the establishing shot showed a run down house with a couple of people watching an old fashioned television. The story then progressed to them spending their last bit of money on a lottery ticket and consequently winning the jackpot, effectively a rags to riches story!

First Film

My first film assignment was entitled 'Continuity Cutting'. We were asked to form groups and produce a short sequence (2-3 mins) in a continuous style. A number of themes were provided for us to choose from and my group chose 'Bond'. We sat down and came up with a storyboard that was based on a 'Bond' type theme. The story was that one of the villains would have a meeting with an associate and leave him a briefcase which he would then walk off with. Bond was watching all of this going and follows the villain with the briefcase.  The villain realises he's being followed and a chase begins. Once the storyboard was completed we carried out a scouting mission to 'recce' the best locations.  I was the main character in the story but still had an opportunity to film some of the scenes,  direct and get involved with the editing process. It was an enjoyable experience and thanks goes to the other members of my group (Bas, George, Lisa & James). I did try to upload the film but due to its size (I left the computer on all night and it still didn't upload!) it didn't work so I had to cancel. I've therefore taken a couple of screen shots of the shoot which give you an idea. At some point I'll set up a YouTube account and post the link.

That's it for my first three assignments! My next blog will focus on the last three assignments in this module.

Photography
For my first photography assignment I was asked to produce a set of images based around outdoor observation (reference) and studio (lighting). For outdoor observation I was tasked to produce six images for each of the following - faces in the environment, textures, continuous letters of the alphabet and architectural details that tell a story. In the studio three images had to be produced - a character in portrait (low key), a character in portrait (high key) and finally a character in 'contre jour' see right (this was my alternative contre jour with the subject lit from behind giving an interesting halo effect. It was surprisingly challenging getting all of the textures together. I found that macro settings worked well with textures as I could get close into object and get the detail. The top right image shows a face from the environment.

Mood Boards
The third module assignment was fairly straight forward. I was required to produce 9 panels that reflected the colour palette and mood of two games or films. I chose Alien and the Grand Turismo game.  Mood boards are normally prepared before production to provide a feel for the final look. They can also be used to analyse earlier productions and help with directorial skills. Colour can be very important in film making as they can create an ambience that suggest a particular time or place. The mood boards I produced are below:

On the left is the mood board I created based on the film 'Alien'. As you can see there are many dark colours but also some light greys and whites which represent part of the space station. The Gran Turismo mood board is much more colourful, representing the many brightly painted cars. The blacks and greys represent the road.

Storyboard

For the final assignment in the module we were tasked with producing a client presentation for a commercial, promo or games trailer which communicated a solution for one of the following commissions - Virgin Holidays, Sony Games, Jameson's Irish Whiskey, Mars Bar or the game Halo. I chose Virgin Holidays which was to be based on the 'Colours of the World' theme. The brief instructed us not to include airplanes but focus on colourful objects from around the world graphically shown in montage. They also had to be hand drawn. For my idea I thought about a person in an every day situation daydreaming about being on holiday. The first storyboard I produced began on a rainy Monday in London with a lady in a coffee shop looking out at people walking with their umbrellas and getting wet. She begins to daydream and imagines an elephant walking across Westminster Bridge towards Big Ben. The camera then follows the elephant until it arrives at Big Ben, it looks up and Big Ben transforms into a tree in Africa. The final shot is of the woman on safari taking photographs of the elephant eating from a tree. My second storyboard followed a similar theme, this time a man is stuck in a traffic jam near the Angel of the North. The traffic isn't moving. He begins to day dream about being on holiday and whilst looking at the statue it transforms into the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The final scenes are of a Rio street carnival.

Well that's it for my first ever blog! More entries to follow shortly......