Film Shoot - 27/04

On the Saturday, we went back to film the rest of the Grindleford shoot, which went quite well. Most of us attended (4/5) and we managed to get the rest of the footage captured. Unfortunately we ran into weather problems during the day so lost some time. However I feel we managed to get some good work completed on this day.

Film Shoot - 26/04

On Friday 24th April, we managed to schedule our first shoot at Grindleford. We took the shot list, all the props needed and travelled by train at 10:14am. Unfortunately, our actors all dropped out of our production the day before we were planning to shoot, therefore Joe & myself had to take over the roles of the actors, and balance them with our cinematography work as well. I was disappointed because I would have preferred to concentrate on what was happening behind the camera rather than being in front of it, however it was our organisation skills we should have taken consideration in when it came to actors, so it was a learning curve. 

Production still from beginning of shoot

All crew (Tom Newsham, Joe Butterworth, Luke Harrison, Joel Danby-Irons & myself) all attended this shoot, and we worked on our 'country exterior'. I feel it was a successful shoot, the weather managed to stay good throughout the day and we managed to get a lot of the work done, however we didn't finish and due to being tired and shooting from 10-6, we decided to have a rest and return to shoot tomorrow. 

Here are some more stills/photos I managed to capture through the day in intervals of filming and acting. 

Here is a prop we used within the film.

Call Sheet - Grindleford Shoot 26/04/13

Shot List for Shoots

After Tom completed the script, I decided to create an overall shot list for the entire project, therefore I knew we had all the shots we wanted and needed for the project. This will be incredibly helpful on shoots because it'll work as a to do list, so we don't miss anything important on the day. It also allows us to see (in our heads) how it will visually look in edit, which is interesting...

Script for Project

When we finally managed to get the group together, we worked on the key points, and features we needed, such as lighting changes and colour, and with notes made in Grindleford previously, we came up with an idea. At first we were slightly over-ambitious with the amount of time we had to accomplish, however I feel we managed to creatively cut down the idea to make it just as a effective.

Little Synopsis: We follow Ashlene and James, a couple hoping to rekindle their relationship. James suggests camping, and therefore the two travel to a campsite, where they are followed by a dark shadow. Only Ashlene notices the shadow, and James seems oblivious. At the campsite, Ashlene spots this 'man' dragging a tarp across the ground, and freaks out to tell James. James calms her down and tells her to go to sleep, expecting she's over reacting to an animal in the woods. In the morning, James wakes up to find Ashlene gone...

Script:

INT. BEDROOM - LATE EVENING/EARLY MORNING                        

                                                                           

          Looking from atop the wardrobe we see ASHLENE rummaging          

          around underneath, JAMES is calling items of clothing out to     

          her from off-screen.                                             

                                                                           

          ASHLENE is about to respond but instead drops her shoulders      

          and shuts the wardrobe doors with a bang.                        

                                                                           

          JAMES’s is on his knees, his head down at his camping bag,       

          he’s wrestling with the zip. He defeats it and turns to          

          ASHLENE. Noticing her lack of enthusiasm he places his hands     

          on her shoulders, giving her a comforting stare and then         

          embrace. Lights out                                              

                                                                           

                                                                           

          EXT. COUNTRY PATHWAY - MORNING                                   

                                                                           

          We track backwards out from JAMES’S camera lens, the shutter     

          CLICKS. His fiancé ASHLENE forces herself to look jolly in       

          her hiking attire. JAMES mocks her lack of enthusiasm and        

          she cracks a real smile. JAMES clicks the shutter again.         

                                                                           

                                                                           

          EXT. GRINDLEFORD - MORNING                                       

                                                                           

          The two are wandering around light-heartedly. JAMES points       

          to an animal in a tree, ASHLENE takes notice and looks at it     

          through camera. She noticed CREEP and jolts with shock.          

                                                                           

          The two are erecting a tent, ASHLENE struggling and              

          purposefully putting in little effort. She has a mini            

          tantrum and wanders off. JAMES looks back, feeling bad.          

                                                                           

          ASHLENE is wandering up hill. Bored, she taps a branch           

          against trees. She hears something. CREEP is dragging some       

          heavy object covered in tarp. ASHLENE whips behind the tree      

          next to her, her face only just peering out behind it. CREEP     

          is struggling with his dragging, he awkwardly trips and          

          loses his grip, as he reaches back to pick it up we see that     

          it’s a person’s limp hand. ASHLENE has a look of horror and      

          presses the back of her head to the back of the tree. CREEP      

          is passing, ASHLENE very hesitantly turns to look round the      

          other side of the tree. We see a blur approach her from          

          behind. JAMES racks into focus and ASHLENE jumps massively.      

          She quickly turns around to where CREEP was and nothing is       

          there. She looks back at JAMES hitting him half joking, half     

          serious. He puts his arm around her and they turn to walk        

          back.                                                            

                                                                           

                                                                           

                                                                           

                                                                           

                                                                           

                                                                           

                                                                           

                                                                  2.       

                                                                           

                                                                           

                                                                           

          EXT. GRINDLEFORD - NIGHT.                                        

                                                                           

          The silhouettes of JAMES and ASHLENE stirring in the tent,       

          layed on opposite sides of the tent. They are on their sides     

          looking at each other. JAMES is looking at ASHLENE, a tiny       

          camp light is between them. She turns it out, it turns to        

          day, JAMES wakes up, wincing at the light.                       

                                                                           

                                                                           

          EXT. GRINDLEFORD - MORNING                                       

                                                                           

          Looking inside the tent from outside, JAMES is alone in the      

          tent. The zip door is open and waving in the wind. JAMES         

          hurried goes to put on his jumper.                               

                                                                           

          He is outside the tent and looking frantic, he’s looking         

          around standing still. From up the hill we can she an arm        

          from around a tree on the left. She is bound to the tree         

          with rope and gagged. JAMES comes running up and tries to        

          help her. CREEP slowly walks from off screen up to JAMES and     

          hits him with club. CREEP is standing before them, club in       

          hand. ASHLENE has a look of horror, she struggles with her       

          ropes, he throws the bat on the floor. ASHLENE manages to        

          get out of her gag and is screaming hysterically.                

                                                                           

          Looking up at the sky, JAMES is dragged backwards down the       

          hill. JAMES’S vision is blurred, we focus in on ASHLENE          

          screaming. Fades to black.                                      

Grindleford: Location Scout Photos...

Before planning our main project, we decided to travel to Grindleford to see if we could use this as an external location, but also just to have some practice outside of university. Unfortunately only two of us out of the group were able to make it, however, we spent our time planning how we could use the location to our advance in regard to our narrative. Here are the photos from the location scout.

Grindleford Shoot - slideshows

Point Of View

The Point of View is the style of shot that determines who the viewer identifies within a scene. It works with other graphical and editorial techniques such as framing - which determine the level of involvement a viewer has with the character on screen.

The point of view throughout a narrative film often changes, and is usually, if done with the right technique, largely invisible to the audience. The accumulated effect of these changes profoundly affect the way in with the audience may interpret any scene of your film. 

There are three different types of narration in film in regard to point of view:

First-Person Point of View

Third Person Point of View

Omniscient Point of View

FIRST PERSON POINT OF VIEW

This style of P.O.V takes the narration of a film and moves it completely into the interior of one character. In first person, the story is sometimes told by the character themselves.  As an audience we see through the character's eyes - the 'I' of the story. 

Here are two examples I found, not from a film but a music video. The entire video takes place in first person, which to me makes it more intense and allows me as an audience member to have full involvement in the situation. 

THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW

This style of P.O.V presents the action of the film as seen by an ideal observer. This is one of the most popular/common styles used in mainstream Hollywood cinema, but rarely used on its own throughout a film. It's usually combined with the selected use of omniscient and subjective passages. 

OMNISCIENT POINT OF VIEW

Omniscient point of view allows the audience to know what the characters are thinking. This is usually achieved through narration, voice-over or graphics. A good film example of this is shown above, Mean Girls, where we have a range of shots which are explained by the main character as we proceed through the story. We're in the characters' head, therefore allows us to feel more involved. 

Slating

In class, we had a lesson on 'Slating/Recording the shot'. Here are the notes made:

This is mainly used to try save film-stock when shooting on film, and that there are certain actions around lighting and other positionings that  only the camera crew really need to know - these are indicated by (*C). 

On small crews, such as ours, the responsibility falls to the camera grip or someone else on crew, whereas in big crews, there are Assistants, Camera Assistants and even the Clapper-Loader. 

If the Director is happy with the final rehearsal and the Assistant Director will call for 'Last Looks'/'Final Checks', for which the Wardrobe, Hair & Make Up contributors will come in. Other techniques may check settings of equipment (for example, the Camera Assistant may check the focus). Every person involved with the filming should know where they are meant to be and where they are going during the take. 

NOTE: DO NOT CROWD AROUND THE MONITOR. 

Next, the Assistant Director asks 'Everyone ready for a take?'.

If everyone is ready, they announce 'Quiet please on set, we're going for a take.'

(On a larger set, the call for quiet may be passed down to 2nd Assistant Directors)

NOTE: People assume that if they work 'quietly' off set they'll be fine. DON'T DO THIS.

If there are any effects through the scene (rain/fog etc.) they are set in motion by the Art Department. Alternatively, the Assistant Director may call for 'Cue Smoke'

Assistant Director then calls 'Run Sound'

(If the film is being shot with a separate sound recorder, the sound recordist will begin recording here - the Sound Recordist will say 'Sound Running' or 'Speed')

On a single system this only indicates that the Recordist is happy with levels and has a return from the camera.

[*C. If shooting on film, or another double-system where image media is in short supply, the Shot and Take number can be announced at this point]. 

The Sixth Sense - The Use of RED

After researching colour in more depth, I decided to research the idea of the colour in Sixth Sense, merely because I like the film and didn't really read into colour beforehand.

This time I watched the film alone, and tried to focus on the symbolic appearance of the colour red throughout. In regard to the film as a whole, the colour palette us quite muted, dull colours until the certain scenes where the bright red sticks and stands out from the rest of the features on the screen. I decided to research into the use of red further, and found that the colour symbolises 'anything in the real world that has been tainted by the other world' as well as used to connote the emotional situations and moments throughout the film. This is the most obvious theory behind the colour scheme.

The first two sections of red I noticed where these above, the red balloon and Cole's red jumper at the party. These two features of red both pre-empt the ghost sobbing in the wall. There is also a theory that the rising of the red balloon towards the light through the centre of a spiral staircase represents a religious approach - a spirit rising up to God, with the staircase used as representation of the journey of the spirit's life. 

In regard to Cole's jumper, I feel that this could be a representation of the character's position/situation at this point of the film. He's uncertain and naive to everything going on around him, however still finds himself drawn to the voices he hears. 

Red is the colour used to represent the spirit world, and so by wearing it himself, he is drawing the spirits to him. Throughout the rest of the film where we see Cole wearing duller colours are definitely a conscious choice. It almost represents his acceptance of his 'ability' and now doesn't want to draw any unnecessary attention to himself, meaning he's more in control towards the end of the piece.

Another feature of red I noticed was the character Anna. After the passing of Malcolm (her husband), the character constantly wears red. However she wears a variety of shades, which I believe to be changes within her psychological state throughout, and how strongly she feels the presence of her husband. There is a red book she gives to her 'date', the red is dull, almost brown, which signifies (narratively) that the character is letting go and moving on from the death of Malcolm. The colours used on the character are rarely aggressive, as I believe that Malcolm's presence doesn't want to harm Anna, the only exceptions being when she wears a very bright red to the anniversary dinner, and the red of her antidepressants. 

During the dinner scene, we see Malcolm talk directly to her while she's awake, which he doesn't do - however this is more stressful and argumentative. 'He interprets her demeanour as bitter and dismissive, and so reacts to this with negativity'. 

I believe the pills themselves are bright red as they embody the sadness she has left over from the death. Another point is that Malcolm talks to Anna when she sleeps and she has a red cardigan/shawl over her, however the colour is soft. 

I definitely didn't realise how much red that imprinted itself into the importance of the film, there are so many different scenes are the colour can be interpreted to foreshadow the storyline. Another (shown above) is the scene with Kyra's cards on the fireplace, which are mostly written on a red card. At the funeral, her mother wore a bright red lipstick and suit, there is red roses, candles, and the coffin itself was wrapped in a red velvet ribbon. Seems almost an overdose of red colour, however it allows you to understand its concept on a simple level. The first time I watched this, the woman in red stood out immediately, which made me question the character straightaway. She suffers a different haunting than Anna. Since she played a part in her daughter's death, she's obtained a relationship with the 'other side', which is represented by the amount of red revolving around this one character. 

Throughout the rest of the film, there are obvious instances of red, such as above, the door handle, as well as the red pen Cole uses to scribble down the voices of the ghosts. These uses of red are all rather straightforward nods towards how much influence the spirit world has on the realworld. All of the sections I've researched clearly show that the colour red is used to simply represent the colour of the spirit world - ghosts trapped in limbo, the anger culminating in a flash of bright colour to connote their desperation to be heard and understood. 

Their voices are red, with bitterness and anguish, and when they wear red themselves, their desire to be seen is taken to a completely new level, thus revealing their selfishness. 

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The red may represent the anger and desperation of the spirit world, however there are also obvious features that I feel link to sanctuary and religion. For example the statue Cole steals is wearing a red cloak and the stone of the sword he uses at the ending has a bright ruby colour at the end. Also, Cole's mother wears reds at one of their closest moments throughout the entire film, and this is obvious because she rarely wears the colour throughout the rest of the film. So maybe, the colour here is representing her and Cole's relationship, as well as his desperation for sanctuary.

There's also scenes where Cole runs away to places of safety, the church and the tent. The Church doors are bright red, as is the tent:

This is where it contradicts itself. The colour red is used both for the danger of the spirit world and the ghosts within it, as well as safety and refuge. This does link to the understanding of contradictions within the religion and it's promises. For example, Cole's understanding of religion is only simple, as he sees the church merely as an escape from the hauntings, and yet he enters one of the most spiritual places he could have gone to. 

Similar to this, the tent he uses is his 'home-escape', and yet they used the colour that would most definitely attract the spirits to him. In a way he wants to hide behind the positivity of religion, and ignore all the darkness within it, therefore ignoring the problem he's currently facing in his life. It isn't until he accepts his gift that he learns to deal with it and control it, by helping ghosts pass on, that becomes less drawn to the 'red' spaces. 

The last scene of him in the church sees him stood in front of a stained glass window, with colours such as yellow and pink, but no red at all. He has learnt a life of balance, and therefore the extremes of the colour palette seem to have died down and do not reappear. This isn't saying that the red is used to represent childishness, but more about being out-of-control.

Red is impressively powerful throughout this film, and I'm almost mad at myself for not allowing myself to understand the full extent of the palette the previous time I watched the film. However, this is a very clever and simple method of using the colour red throughout film.