The Shoot

Edale lived up to expectations by being pretty chilly and damp. However, all was good as the shoot itself went pretty much according to plan, and we had hand warmers.

As we were unable to do a location reccie before hand, we were very lucky with how easy it was to find locations; pretty much everywhere you turned had postcard potential. We also found a beautiful little stream which we used that I think will look great. Steve managed to get hold of the front of a TV which was great because it will massively improve the look of the piece. 

As said, all went well. Until the camera screen packed up within the first hour of shooting. Still, despite the fact that the view finder makes it a lot harder to correctly expose and focus our image, it could have been a lot lot worse. 

If we were to do the whole thing again, I think I would definitely have gone for an actor in the piece instead of myself. Even though the nature of our film meant that I could still have just as much input the shots, there were occasions in which, to match up two shots, I had to remain in position. This meant that for a couple of shots, I was unable to check the camera, which is a little annoying. 

Edale

A few pictures I took on the day of the shoot

Shot List

Because we want our film to be simple, we are keeping the shots simple. We want there to be a rhythm and similarity in the different shots used for each 'channel' or scene. So, here is the shot list..

Intro/Channel 1
Close up from behind person.
Mid shot, TV in view
Wide, countryside view dominates screen, puts person/TV into perspective, situation looks ridiculous
Mid, person changes channel

Channel 2
Mid, person and TV
wide, countryside
close up of remote
Mid, change channel
Close up of TV, viewer can see view of what is on the 'screen'

Channel 3
close up TV, match cut here
mid, person and TV
wide, countryside
mid, change channel

Channel 4
mid, person and TV
wide, view of scenery
close up of TV, see view
mid, Tv turn off
close up of TV turning off

Edale Plan

Deciding to have at least three - preferably four, but depends on how good the locations are - different scenes or 'channels'  in the film. Each is going to be a different postcard view, with individual watching TV in the corner. Plan is to keep it simple, with basic wide, mid and close ups:

Also thinking of Escape to the Country as a working title...

Sea Change

By Rosie Pedlow and Joe King

This short film is based in a caravan park. It traces it through day and night, with a seemingly never ending tracking short. The place changes with the changing light, managing to go from bleak and desolate to warm and atmospheric. 

I love the way the film begins with the camera pointed to the right, all you can see is fields of the countryside, and a boy gets on his bike. The camera and audience then follow him through this park and cross many more very human things in the natural environment. At one point, a balloon floats in front of the camera, at another, some cars drive towards the camera. I think what the film is commenting on is made clearest by the first and final shots. The last shot is of a tree, with pylon wires going into it. The camera pauses here for a minute. From this, for me, the film is talking about the impact of this caravan park - which seems pretty permanent - on this natural space. I think the film shows a negative view of it, which is enhanced by the pausing of the last shot; as the rest of the film has been moving image, this is something that really stands out. The shot simply shows a permanent human imprint on this part of countryside. However, I do think that this is a piece that is open to a lot of interpretation, simply because of its minimalist approach.

I think in our short film, it would be great if we managed to achieve a similar affect. We are also doing something very simple but something that we hope will be open to a bit of interpretation. 

Portrait of Place

For our first film project, we have to come up with a three minute piece that is an interpretation of 'portrait of place'. Our initial thoughts are to do something exploring the idea that nowadays people stay in doors, are 'couch potatoes' and are generally a wee bit more lazy than they used to be. As our project is going to be set in Edale, a beautiful place in the Peak District, we thought we could toy with this idea and have an individual looking through a TV, watching the environment their in. In other words, they would rather look at it through a TV than look around them. I think it will also be nice way to do a literal portrait of the place.

But Edale!! Did some online research to see what the place is like  -

Looks pretty idilic and postcard perfect. I think for our idea, this could work out pretty well as the frame of the TV can act almost like a picture frame. It would be good to get some sheep included too!

Skin Deep

Skin Deep is a powerful short film. Directed by Yousaf Ali Khan it is a film primarily about identity but it also explores racism and the influence of group mentality. I think that fact that the main character is a teenage boy, really makes a difference, being a similar age myself, as those feelings of wanting to belong are still really easy to identify. It makes the story so believable (the use of pov shorts really helps with this as well). And I think that is why I was so moved by it. I completely believed in Romo's pain and frustration and his anger.

I think the fact that Romo has a younger sister, who he has to look after and walk to and from school makes the story all the more horrible to watch. It is her innocence contrasted with Romo's anger, and the  choices he make - such as joining in with a group of racist gang in threatening a young Asian man, despite the fact that he is mixed race himself - that makes his actions so much more awful.

The film begins and ends with Romo looking at himself in the mirror, shouting racist abuse at his refection. The second time we see Romo do this at the end of the film, for me is the climax. The anger and hatred that Romo subjects himself to is hard to watch and one can't help remembering the title of the film. The shot ends with Romo seeing his younger sister in the mirror standing behind him. This works so well because it is a reminder of who he really is, where he as come from. It emphasises how wrong his actions are.

Overall, I think that Skin Deep is a really interesting piece of work and if it the aim of a film is to provoke you, emotionally involve you, make you think, then I'd say it does a pretty good job of it.

Encounters

This week I watched Werner Herzog's Encounters at the End of the World.  It was a great film that unlike other documentaries set in the Arctic, focused more on those who live and work in this extreme and beautiful environment. Herzog was interested in why people would choose to live in such conditions; there was such a variety of people interviewed, all with their own reasons for choosing to move there. I find this sort of stuff really interesting because unlike moving to Europe, living in the Arctic involves making so many sacrifices, whether it's the home comforts or the removal from the rest of the world and family. Admittedly, the folks that Herzog interviewed had set up their own little community but for me it just would not be the same.

Throughout the film, there were a number of references to Scott's famous expedition and I was reminded of Herbert Ponting's 1924 film The Great White Silence.

A few years ago I went to an exhibition featuring Ponting's photographs from the expedition and was blown away by the shear beauty of the images yet also the warmth and humility with which the voyagers were portrayed. Having since seen The Great White Silence, I feel that Ponting continues many of these themes through to the film. It was a beautiful piece of work that had me gripped, laughing and crying all at once - true cinema. I saw the film with my mum who, at the time had no idea what the film was about until we were in our seats. When I told her the synopsis, she wasn't exactly enthused about sitting through two hours of a silent film set in the Arctic. However, she left the cinema just as taken by the film as I. And if it has mum's approval, then it must be good.

Inspiration #1

RIGHT HERE ALL OVER

What I find so great about some demonstrations and protests, is that it involves a huge number of people from all over a country, who don't know each other, come from different backgrounds and jobs, coming together, united in their beliefs or views. And they get on, meet people they perhaps would never have encountered before. Having been on a few protests myself, I know that you can certainly meet some characters, but these individuals can be so inspiring in their enthusiasm for the cause! They can challenge you and present to you new ideas.

Another great thing about going to a protest is seeing all the home made banners. I love seeing how creative people can be when they are so passionate and pissed off.

The recent Occupy Wall Street event that took place in New York, is a great example of this. I found this video and I just love how a whole community has evolved and that there is a make shift media centre, made for anyone who wanted to create a film through out the week. This is inspiring stuff.