Sunday, October 30, 2016
Sunday, October 23, 2016
IB Film II Production Check
IB Film Production Check
http://www.modcloth.com/shop/blouses/notably-knowledgeable-top
In terms of a personal reflection, I am beginning to get excited for this film because I can definitely see it taking shape in a more real light. Pranava and Shay have revised the script for this portion of the work, while I have started focusing on my choices and decisions as director. By choosing the role of director, much of the physical production resides within my area of knowledge.
As I have mentioned before, Shay is mainly focused on sound mixing and Sound Designing. Pranava has taken on the role of Cinematographer, while I have shifted to Director. I have done some research into th requirements for the role of director and found a helpful outline which can be found below.
http://annafilmib.blogspot.com/2013/04/film-crew-roles-mind-map-example.html
http://annafilmib.blogspot.com/2013/04/film-crew-roles-mind-map-example.html
We have chosen actors for our film, which is exciting because we can now visualize the dialogue and the cinematic elements of the film in accordance with those playing the roles. The main female protagonist, June, will be portrayed by Emily Joyce. The primary male protagonist, Jonah, will be portrayed by Brandon Silverman. Our actors are a senior and a junior, respectively, and we will have to be careful to maneuver around their schedules. June's mother is the only other major role, which will either be played by myself or by my mother, Laura Duda.
Additionally, I have also scouted for locations. We will be filming inside of the school, in the parking lot of the school, in my car, in a bowling alley, and in the interior of my house and Shay's. I have begun to fill out Scouting Location forms and releases which are attached in my sketchbook. In terms of costumes and props, I am interested in having a certain sense of continuity among the characters in terms of what they wear. I want Emily to be dressed primarily in neutrals but also be wearing some sort of red in every scene, whether it be her shoes, her shirt, or a jacket.
http://www.modcloth.com/shop/blouses/notably-knowledgeable-top
A lot of times, red is stereotyped as representing lust, but I think that in this case, red represents desire, not for another human being, but for June's own future.
For Jonah, I definitely want a sense of contrast between the two so I am tempted to put him in green for at least one of the scenes. However, I also want to subvert the usual expectation of the male protagonist so I also want him to be primarily in gray, which allows June to take up more of the screen and emphasizes our focus on her characterization. Additionally, one of the conflicts that drives Jonah is his insecurity with his body and with the color gray, we are able to portray this desire to go unnoticed.
For props, we will need to have a laptop for June and Jonah to type on, which we can use mine for. Additionally, we need place settings for the dinner scene which I have at my house.
For our technical needs, we will obviously need to use a tripod and a camera, while Shay will be designating our need of microphones. I am also interested in using the camera track slider which I used last year while I was involved in Monica Kavathekar's film.
As for production scheduling, we are looking to complete production within the next couple weeks in order to leave plenty of room for post production. I am communicating with all of the crew to decipher a couple of dates that work best for everyone. We will wrap before December 9th for a variety of reasons including the weather and the timeline.
For props, we will need to have a laptop for June and Jonah to type on, which we can use mine for. Additionally, we need place settings for the dinner scene which I have at my house.
For our technical needs, we will obviously need to use a tripod and a camera, while Shay will be designating our need of microphones. I am also interested in using the camera track slider which I used last year while I was involved in Monica Kavathekar's film.
As for production scheduling, we are looking to complete production within the next couple weeks in order to leave plenty of room for post production. I am communicating with all of the crew to decipher a couple of dates that work best for everyone. We will wrap before December 9th for a variety of reasons including the weather and the timeline.
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Inglourious Basterds Review
A typical spaghetti western is an Italian-made western film. Westerns were made abroad in Europe from 1964-1973 because they were cheaper to film in Italy than in the West of the United States. During this brief span, around 400 films were created. Conventions of this genre include extreme close-ups, dramatic lighting, the theme of anarchy and the thematic element of right and wrong. Also, themes of civil war and genre subversion are typical. Spaghetti westerns tend to be male dominated. Examples of spaghetti westerns include Django Unchained, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly and Appaloosa.
The spaghetti western genre is an interesting choice by Quentin Tarantino to depict a World War II era movie. By utilizing the conventions of this genre while simultaneously subverting it, Tarantino is able to depict the dynamics and nuances of World War II in a nontraditional light. He utilizes close-ups, dramatic lighting, and violence to create a dramatic feeling and larger than life characters. He utilizes revenge plots through the character of Shoshanna which is strongly reminiscent of spaghetti westerns. Additionally, the violence and the scenes with dust and dirt are also indicative of the genre. The intriguing part of Tarantino's genre choice is the aspect of reality and truth that is often associated with historical dramas and which he is able to neglect because of his genre selection. Yes, the film is set in a historical context but because it is a spaghetti western he is able to dramatize and create caricatures out of historical figures and situations.
Additionally, Tarantino plays with genre subversion and subversion of audience expectations. Due to his previous films including Kill Bill Vol I and II, his audiences have come to expect gratuitous violence and vengeful, aggressive character. In Inglourious Basterds, while violence is still present, there is a larger focus on dialogue and on cultural and linguistic nuance. Much of the movie contains English subtitles as much of the dialogue is in German or French. This gives the film a foreign feel in a way that is not typical of a western. Tarantino also alters history within his film, subverting the audiences expectation that the film will play out according to true and accurate history. Additionally the duel-narrative structure is rare and again subverts expectations by complicating the storyline. Overall, the use of the genre spaghetti western is unusual but effective.
The spaghetti western genre is an interesting choice by Quentin Tarantino to depict a World War II era movie. By utilizing the conventions of this genre while simultaneously subverting it, Tarantino is able to depict the dynamics and nuances of World War II in a nontraditional light. He utilizes close-ups, dramatic lighting, and violence to create a dramatic feeling and larger than life characters. He utilizes revenge plots through the character of Shoshanna which is strongly reminiscent of spaghetti westerns. Additionally, the violence and the scenes with dust and dirt are also indicative of the genre. The intriguing part of Tarantino's genre choice is the aspect of reality and truth that is often associated with historical dramas and which he is able to neglect because of his genre selection. Yes, the film is set in a historical context but because it is a spaghetti western he is able to dramatize and create caricatures out of historical figures and situations.
Additionally, Tarantino plays with genre subversion and subversion of audience expectations. Due to his previous films including Kill Bill Vol I and II, his audiences have come to expect gratuitous violence and vengeful, aggressive character. In Inglourious Basterds, while violence is still present, there is a larger focus on dialogue and on cultural and linguistic nuance. Much of the movie contains English subtitles as much of the dialogue is in German or French. This gives the film a foreign feel in a way that is not typical of a western. Tarantino also alters history within his film, subverting the audiences expectation that the film will play out according to true and accurate history. Additionally the duel-narrative structure is rare and again subverts expectations by complicating the storyline. Overall, the use of the genre spaghetti western is unusual but effective.
Works Cited:
https://somefilmsandstuff.com/2013/11/25/inglourious-basterds-review/
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Genre?
Genre Selection
One of the genre presentations that I found intriguing was the one on War Epics by Pranava. Conventions of a war epic include sweeping musical scores, extravagant costumes, and high production value. War Epics explore the reality of war on a grand scale while focusing on landmark battles and political issues within war. They usually focus in on a protagonist and his fellow soldiers. Notable films include Schindler's List (1993), Apocalypse Now (1979), Full Metal Jacket (1987), Spartacus (1960), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), Troy (2004), and Saving Private Ryan (1998). In her presentation, Pranave showed the opening of Saving Private Ryan which I felt gave a good preview and example of the genre. I felt like it was really powerful even though I am not partial to violence. I liked the realistic feel that the film had which was aided by the shakiness of the camera.
http://savingprivateryan.wikia.com/wiki/Omaha_Beach
I think that the draw of war epics, for me is the realism tied into it. This reaction demonstrates my own desire to better understand others' experiences. I want to be able to empathize with experiences I haven't had and hopefully never will. While I admire the work that Steven Spielberg has done, I recognize that a war epic is not a practical or plausible genre to film in a short film on a nonexistent budget.
Another genre that peaked my interest was the category of heist films. Heist films include a diverse group of individuals who are called upon to do the job, often impossible and unthinkable. Each group has a leader, the brains of the operation. Additionally the group has specialists including a safe cracker, an explosives expert, a driver, a computer guy and a heavy lifter. Finally there is usually a double crosser who betrays the heist. Another convention is the three-action plot including planning, the heist and the unraveling. Notable films include Ocean's Eleven and The Italian Job. I am really interested in this genre and would be interested in filming a short. Logistically, it might be difficult but it would be more plausible than a war epic. I am drawn to the genre because of the sense of camaraderie and the adrenaline commonly associated with the films which demonstrates my own desire for action. I admire the work done in Ocean's Eleven by Steven Soderbergh.
Finally, I am also interested in the genre of my own presentation which was road films. I really enjoyed learning about the adaptability of the genre to the times. Conventions of the genre include Route 66, movement from East to West, a heroic, male protagonist, notable form of transportation, car trouble, meaningful conversation, and fleeing from the law. Notable films include the Wizard of Oz (1939), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), My Own Private Idaho (1991), and Little Miss Sunshine (2001). Road films often include good characterization which is an element that I love and interesting and profound dialogue which I am also intrigued by. Road films provoke my own desire to write good characters like those in Little Miss Sunshine which is directed by both Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. I would like to emulate these directors realistic feel to their movie. For a short, I would be most interested in doing a road film.
One of the genre presentations that I found intriguing was the one on War Epics by Pranava. Conventions of a war epic include sweeping musical scores, extravagant costumes, and high production value. War Epics explore the reality of war on a grand scale while focusing on landmark battles and political issues within war. They usually focus in on a protagonist and his fellow soldiers. Notable films include Schindler's List (1993), Apocalypse Now (1979), Full Metal Jacket (1987), Spartacus (1960), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), Troy (2004), and Saving Private Ryan (1998). In her presentation, Pranave showed the opening of Saving Private Ryan which I felt gave a good preview and example of the genre. I felt like it was really powerful even though I am not partial to violence. I liked the realistic feel that the film had which was aided by the shakiness of the camera.
http://savingprivateryan.wikia.com/wiki/Omaha_Beach
I think that the draw of war epics, for me is the realism tied into it. This reaction demonstrates my own desire to better understand others' experiences. I want to be able to empathize with experiences I haven't had and hopefully never will. While I admire the work that Steven Spielberg has done, I recognize that a war epic is not a practical or plausible genre to film in a short film on a nonexistent budget.
Another genre that peaked my interest was the category of heist films. Heist films include a diverse group of individuals who are called upon to do the job, often impossible and unthinkable. Each group has a leader, the brains of the operation. Additionally the group has specialists including a safe cracker, an explosives expert, a driver, a computer guy and a heavy lifter. Finally there is usually a double crosser who betrays the heist. Another convention is the three-action plot including planning, the heist and the unraveling. Notable films include Ocean's Eleven and The Italian Job. I am really interested in this genre and would be interested in filming a short. Logistically, it might be difficult but it would be more plausible than a war epic. I am drawn to the genre because of the sense of camaraderie and the adrenaline commonly associated with the films which demonstrates my own desire for action. I admire the work done in Ocean's Eleven by Steven Soderbergh.
Finally, I am also interested in the genre of my own presentation which was road films. I really enjoyed learning about the adaptability of the genre to the times. Conventions of the genre include Route 66, movement from East to West, a heroic, male protagonist, notable form of transportation, car trouble, meaningful conversation, and fleeing from the law. Notable films include the Wizard of Oz (1939), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), My Own Private Idaho (1991), and Little Miss Sunshine (2001). Road films often include good characterization which is an element that I love and interesting and profound dialogue which I am also intrigued by. Road films provoke my own desire to write good characters like those in Little Miss Sunshine which is directed by both Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. I would like to emulate these directors realistic feel to their movie. For a short, I would be most interested in doing a road film.
Monday, October 10, 2016
Sunday, October 2, 2016
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