In which our intrepid scouts head into Bath...
Yesterday afternoon was given over to location scouting. Megan, Jaeeun and I traipsed around the Newton Park offices looking for first-floor offices with sash-opening windows (we need it for the plot) -- but the only ones that might fit the bill aren't open at weekends. So it looks as if I'll be asking around in Bristol to resolve the problem.
But meanwhile, back at the campus Megan and I headed into Bath to check out street and pub locations for another scene. Where possible, it's always a good idea to get more than one location in case it rains or in case something else crops up, so we went to two venues. X might mark the spot on one occasion, but there's no guarantee that it will do so on the big day.
The Hobgoblin is a small pub with bare floorboards that specializes in metal pounding out at high volume. But Darren the barman seemed remarkably unfazed by our request to film in his cellar, even when we mentioned that we needed to simulate a robbery. I bought a pint of Gem to drink while Darren took Megan down to the cellar to take stills. It looks like the cellar may be too narrow, but we have another meeting on Monday to evaluate the stills.
Unfortunately we didn't get any joy out of the second venue, The Raven. It looks a bigger, better venue but Danny the barman couldn't take us down, and the Manager and Manageress were out at the time.
Looks like I'll be going into Bath again next week...
Saturday 30 October 2010
Friday 29 October 2010
The Eager Student
The results of our groups' storyboarding exercise...
So our mission, intrepid reader, was to take a one or two page script and to work out what camera shots were needed. Then we needed to calculate how many different set-up positions there were for the camera.
Then, to test out the robustness of our calculations, we had to actually shoot stills using a test actor (so we picked Baylea, who hates having her picture taken!).
By folding them into a celtx file, and putting one still per shot, we then have an idea of how many shots are required.
So our mission, intrepid reader, was to take a one or two page script and to work out what camera shots were needed. Then we needed to calculate how many different set-up positions there were for the camera.
Then, to test out the robustness of our calculations, we had to actually shoot stills using a test actor (so we picked Baylea, who hates having her picture taken!).
By folding them into a celtx file, and putting one still per shot, we then have an idea of how many shots are required.
This theory is slightly compromised by needing more than one still per shot for zoom shots. And to be honest, technical glitches mean that some of the text was lost somewhere along the line...but it does show what can be done to flesh out a script into a storyboard using still photography.
Unfortunately, celtx doesn't seem to interact at all with any programs available to Blogger, so after an hour and a half of trying, you'll just have to take my word for it...
Wednesday 27 October 2010
Night Thoughts
In which our intrepid hero wakes in the night with a feeling of impending doom...
Awake at 3am aware that I hadn't posted, and mentally started writing this blog post. I'm really, really questioning the wisdom of taking this course.
It's not simply that the work is alien to me and I have to absorb a huge amount, while all the while time is even at more of a premium; finances have forced me back to the BEH at a critical period and I'm worried that Film Studies is becoming such a time sink that it's adversely affecting my other subjects.
But on top of that I'm reliant on five other people whom I've not worked with before, and that's posing an even bigger challenge.
I haven't posted the storyboard yet as I promised on Monday -- I'll try and get to that tomorrow...or Friday, since I'll be on my way back from London tomorrow.
Awake at 3am aware that I hadn't posted, and mentally started writing this blog post. I'm really, really questioning the wisdom of taking this course.
It's not simply that the work is alien to me and I have to absorb a huge amount, while all the while time is even at more of a premium; finances have forced me back to the BEH at a critical period and I'm worried that Film Studies is becoming such a time sink that it's adversely affecting my other subjects.
But on top of that I'm reliant on five other people whom I've not worked with before, and that's posing an even bigger challenge.
I haven't posted the storyboard yet as I promised on Monday -- I'll try and get to that tomorrow...or Friday, since I'll be on my way back from London tomorrow.
Monday 25 October 2010
Just Another Mental Monday
Shot Lists, Scene Lists & Storyboards
I worked six hours today without a break, because my lunch break had to be sacrificed for another group meeting. This subject is a bigger time sink than the other three combined -- and I do not exaggerate. I came straight home after my last lecture, and aside from a half-hour dinner break I've worked ever since, and have had to cancel going out tonight.
Grumble over.
We had to work out where we going to shoot each shot in a simple script that we were given, and then take stills from each position. It took us about an hour and several false starts, but we eventually got our pictures. The simple story board that came out of that exercise will be up on here tomorrow.
And in the meeting, we managed to nail down an ending...score!
I worked six hours today without a break, because my lunch break had to be sacrificed for another group meeting. This subject is a bigger time sink than the other three combined -- and I do not exaggerate. I came straight home after my last lecture, and aside from a half-hour dinner break I've worked ever since, and have had to cancel going out tonight.
Grumble over.
We had to work out where we going to shoot each shot in a simple script that we were given, and then take stills from each position. It took us about an hour and several false starts, but we eventually got our pictures. The simple story board that came out of that exercise will be up on here tomorrow.
And in the meeting, we managed to nail down an ending...score!
Sunday 24 October 2010
Sunday the 24th
Only 27 days to go until shooting starts...
The first revision to the script came through this morning; not many changes, but enough there to make it feel for the first time that we're getting somewhere. Kudos to Baylea for that.
Next meeting is at 12 o'clock tomorrow, after the lecture; hopefully we'll get a little bit of time tomorrow to discuss the script.
The first revision to the script came through this morning; not many changes, but enough there to make it feel for the first time that we're getting somewhere. Kudos to Baylea for that.
Next meeting is at 12 o'clock tomorrow, after the lecture; hopefully we'll get a little bit of time tomorrow to discuss the script.
Friday 22 October 2010
Friday After the 1st Meeting
Reflections on the opening meeting of the Film Group
As I half-expected, the meeting wasn't as bad as I feared; trying to get the group to
a) focus and
b) to slow down enough to actually write the minutes
was a like herding a bunch of cats.
And we barely reached the point in the script when it went split screen --about 40% of the way through-- BUT we did have one 'win' moment, when we actually made a decision on how to handle that thorny little moment (for the benefit of any readers outside the group, the script has a section where the screen splits, and the audience has to watch two parallel narrative arcs).
So overall, even if we did need almost the whole two hours scheduled for the meeting, it was a start.
I've ordered thingy-Hurbis --the set text-- in the hope that it might start to give me a clue on how many pieces of equipment we'll need to use, and what the processes are. It was an eye-watering thirty pounds (even the Kindle version was twenty-three; wtf? It's an electronic copy!) but if it gets me through it'll have been worth it, I guess.
As I half-expected, the meeting wasn't as bad as I feared; trying to get the group to
a) focus and
b) to slow down enough to actually write the minutes
was a like herding a bunch of cats.
And we barely reached the point in the script when it went split screen --about 40% of the way through-- BUT we did have one 'win' moment, when we actually made a decision on how to handle that thorny little moment (for the benefit of any readers outside the group, the script has a section where the screen splits, and the audience has to watch two parallel narrative arcs).
So overall, even if we did need almost the whole two hours scheduled for the meeting, it was a start.
I've ordered thingy-Hurbis --the set text-- in the hope that it might start to give me a clue on how many pieces of equipment we'll need to use, and what the processes are. It was an eye-watering thirty pounds (even the Kindle version was twenty-three; wtf? It's an electronic copy!) but if it gets me through it'll have been worth it, I guess.
Thursday 21 October 2010
The Insane
Today's film is the winner of the Best Horror / Suspense Short at the 2008 Comic-con.
'The Insane' is written, produced and edited by David J. Ellison and Mark Cripps, and features the story of vengeful ex-cop John Vincent.
While the lighting, shooting and soundtrack may well be as good as some suggest, I'd venture that it's let down by a woefully cliched script. But then, I prefer my horror psychological, rather than splatterpunk.
But it still seems a good choice for Halloween
'The Insane' is written, produced and edited by David J. Ellison and Mark Cripps, and features the story of vengeful ex-cop John Vincent.
While the lighting, shooting and soundtrack may well be as good as some suggest, I'd venture that it's let down by a woefully cliched script. But then, I prefer my horror psychological, rather than splatterpunk.
But it still seems a good choice for Halloween
Inside
Today's film is Inside, made by Trevor Sands and starring Six Feet Under's Jeremy Sisto.
It's the first short I've seen with (English*) dialogue, and I may have become so conditioned by the dialogue-free shorts that I've been watching that I'm unsure whether I actually prefer my films to be free of jibber-jabber.
* We did actually watch a couple of French talking films with dialogue; one of them had voiceover rather than dialogue, but was so awful it was beyond description, but the other was very good; so I don't think that I'm automatically anti-dialogue. It may be that there were other issues, with the production for example.
That said, it had an original premise -- although I saw the twist coming, and didn't buy into the logic of it.
It's the first short I've seen with (English*) dialogue, and I may have become so conditioned by the dialogue-free shorts that I've been watching that I'm unsure whether I actually prefer my films to be free of jibber-jabber.
* We did actually watch a couple of French talking films with dialogue; one of them had voiceover rather than dialogue, but was so awful it was beyond description, but the other was very good; so I don't think that I'm automatically anti-dialogue. It may be that there were other issues, with the production for example.
That said, it had an original premise -- although I saw the twist coming, and didn't buy into the logic of it.
Thursday's Post
Today's meeting is making me pretty anxious
I have a group meeting this afternoon at 3 o'clock, which I'm a little uneasy about. So far, even getting six people into the same room at the same time has proved beyond us, and today is going to be no exception; to be fair to any absentees, it was arranged at short notice and we're still getting into our stride. Hopefully, any future meetings will be easier to arrange. Maybe we should split into sub-groups?
And having got as many of us together as we can, we then have to work out in detail our task list, and start thrashing out a compromise script; so far, everyone I've talked to has had very firm ideas about the script. The problem is, none of them seem to overlap. Oh well, I'm sure it won't be as bad as I fear.
I'll let you know tomorrow...
I have a group meeting this afternoon at 3 o'clock, which I'm a little uneasy about. So far, even getting six people into the same room at the same time has proved beyond us, and today is going to be no exception; to be fair to any absentees, it was arranged at short notice and we're still getting into our stride. Hopefully, any future meetings will be easier to arrange. Maybe we should split into sub-groups?
And having got as many of us together as we can, we then have to work out in detail our task list, and start thrashing out a compromise script; so far, everyone I've talked to has had very firm ideas about the script. The problem is, none of them seem to overlap. Oh well, I'm sure it won't be as bad as I fear.
I'll let you know tomorrow...
Wednesday 20 October 2010
Strangers
Upsum = Today's film choice is a(n almost) silent film from Israel
Today's film choice is a(n almost) silent 2004 film from Israel, Strangers. I think that the station is in Haifa, but it's been almost thirty years since I visited the country, so I can't be sure.
I love the moment when the mobile goes off, and the symbolism at the end of the two men standing on separate platforms -- it's nicely underplayed.
Today's film choice is a(n almost) silent 2004 film from Israel, Strangers. I think that the station is in Haifa, but it's been almost thirty years since I visited the country, so I can't be sure.
I love the moment when the mobile goes off, and the symbolism at the end of the two men standing on separate platforms -- it's nicely underplayed.
Tuesday 19 October 2010
She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not...
Still the best damn film I've seen this term...
I'm gradually increasing my film-watching quota, but hands-down still the best damn film I've seen this term (not that there are a lot of them...) is Jamie Rafn's She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not.
I didn't realize that this film was quite as old as it was -- which begs the question, whatever happened to Jamie Rafn?
I just love the music, which really works well with the film, I love the storyline, and I love the feisty heroine. Too many loves? So sue me...
I'm gradually increasing my film-watching quota, but hands-down still the best damn film I've seen this term (not that there are a lot of them...) is Jamie Rafn's She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not.
I didn't realize that this film was quite as old as it was -- which begs the question, whatever happened to Jamie Rafn?
I just love the music, which really works well with the film, I love the storyline, and I love the feisty heroine. Too many loves? So sue me...
Monday 18 October 2010
Black Holes and Choices
Film Studies on 18th October 2010 -- Black Holes and Choices
This morning we watched The Black Hole; it was clever enough, but suffered from the usual irritating filmic tendency to ignore the laws of science and re-define just what a black hole is. Watch it below, and you'll see what I mean...
...maybe I should just lighten up about the whole scientific accuracy thing, but it irritates me when film-makers just decide to ignore whatever's inconvenient.
After watching the short, we went through Choices, a short script that we have to film over the weekend of November 20th and 21st. We'll need to do re-writes; there are far too many characters (nine) for such a short film, most of whom contribute one or two lines or less, the character is passive, and --to be frank-- the ending is feeble. We covered the logline (elevator pitch), the short summary of the film
This morning we watched The Black Hole; it was clever enough, but suffered from the usual irritating filmic tendency to ignore the laws of science and re-define just what a black hole is. Watch it below, and you'll see what I mean...
...maybe I should just lighten up about the whole scientific accuracy thing, but it irritates me when film-makers just decide to ignore whatever's inconvenient.
After watching the short, we went through Choices, a short script that we have to film over the weekend of November 20th and 21st. We'll need to do re-writes; there are far too many characters (nine) for such a short film, most of whom contribute one or two lines or less, the character is passive, and --to be frank-- the ending is feeble. We covered the logline (elevator pitch), the short summary of the film
We've had our groups assigned, and I have drifted into the role of Executive Producer, together with Baylea, who is also unit camera-person (she will be filming us filming the script, if this works out).
Next we need to revise the script...
...more later!
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