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......