FM3 Creative Project: Aims and Context

Students need to provide an aims and context for their 'Creative Project' at A2 (FM3) which outlines the techniques and approaches that will be employed in their production. For assessment purposes a series of bullet points on a coversheet highlighting the following is sufficient:

• genre of film (or equivalent - type/form/movement)

• film/script/step outline

• whether it’s a short film or extract (and if so, whether it’s opening, climactic sequences etc)

• target audience - arthouse/film festival/mainstream

• key stylistic elements of sequence (cinematography, editing etc)

• candidates may refer to film issues raised during their studies at AS.

• if working in a group (moving image only) state role in the production: Director/Camera Operator/Editor etc

The example below gives a hypothetical example and includes reference to film issues raised during AS & A2 studies.

Example:

'Farewell my Maltese Lady from Shanghai' - film/video production

• Comedy film noir short.

• Target audience of 18-year-old, middle-class males, knowledgeable about film.

• Apply cinematography techniques developed for film noir.

• Explore codes and conventions of genre and apply theoretical work on gender.

• As director, try out directing techniques (from writers such as Michael Rabiger).

• Use Mike Leigh’s improvisational technique with actors.

FM4 - Spectatorship - Malcolm Le Grice: Experimental and Expanded Film/Video

Malcolm Le Grice's Berlin Horse /

Sound by Brian Eno

" Multi-projection film Berlin Horse (1970) was based entirely on a novel but simple idea of a repeating, subtly changing film loop. The soundtrack created by Brian Eno was also implemented using a tape loop. According to the director, Berlin Horse examines how the eye works and how the mind builds up a perceptual rhythmic structure"

How to Create a Good Experimental Film: 12 steps - wikiHow

Experimental films are films that push the boundaries of conventional film making. The experimental aspect could be new and different ways of working the camera, using lighting, playing with audio effects, scripting or even acting.

Creating an experimental film is a rewarding process and can be a fun endeavor for any film maker no matter how long they have been in the business.

Read the full guide at the link below:

How to Create a Good Experimental Film: 12 steps - wikiHow

FM4 - Spectatorship - John Smith: Experimental and Expanded Film/Video

The Girl Chewing Gum

(1976) 12 mins. B/W. Sound. 16mm.

"In The Girl Chewing Gum a commanding voice over appears to direct the action in a busy London street. As the instructions become more absurd and fantasised, we realise that the supposed director (not the shot) is fictional; he only describes - not prescribes - the events that take place before him. Smith embraced the ‘spectre of narrative’ (suppressed by structural film), to play word against picture and chance against order. Sharp and direct, the film anticipates the more elaborate scenarios to come; witty, many-layered, punning, but also seriously and poetically haunted by drama’s ineradicable ghost." A.L. Rees, ‘A Directory of British Film & Video Artists’ 1995

"In a twelve-minute take of an ordinary busy street, a voice-over seems to direct the random events that unfold there. It quickly becomes evident that the scene is not responding to the voice, but vice-versa. Through staggering image and sound track, the voice seems to gain powerful authority over the scene, predicting events that the images thus confirm. How much is this simple trick like viewing the evening news? Much like Chris Marker’s best work, Smith’s film exposes the constructedness of the real in a way that is fundamentally destabilizing." Collier White, review of exhibition at Artists Space, New York 2007

"In relinquishing the more subtle use of voice-over in television documentary, the film draws attention to the control and directional function of that practice: imposing, judging, creating an imaginary scene from a visual trace. This ‘Big Brother’ is not only looking at you but ordering you about as the viewer’s identification shifts from the people in the street to the camera eye overlooking the scene. The resultant voyeurism takes on an uncanny aspect as the blandness of the scene (shot in black and white on a grey day in Hackney) contrasts with the near ‘magical’ control identified with the voice. The most surprising effect is the ease with which representation and description turn into phantasm through the determining power of language." Michael Maziere, ‘Undercut’ magazine 1984

"Smith takes the piss out of mainstream auteurist ego, but provides proof of the underground ethos: Even with meagre mechanical means, the artist can command the universe." Ed Halter, 'Village Voice' 2003

"John Smith’s improbable treatise on representation has deservedly become a Co-op classic." Ian Christie, ‘Time Out’ 1980

Re-posted from: johnsmithfilms.com

FM3 - The Creative Project

Reflective Analysis

My aim was to produce a short ‘stop motion’ animated film for film festivals and film students. The audience would have knowledge and experience of surrealist themes and the particular cinematic techniques I intend to utilise.

Jan Svankmajer was a major influence on my aims as his unique style of stop motion mixed with real people in his films such as ‘Alice’ and ‘Food’ appealed to me. His particular style is recognisable due to the ‘jerkiness’ of the images and the surreal narratives and composition of shots. I was also heavily influenced by more mainstream directors such as Nick Park; the director of Wallace and Gromit (Aardman animations). He also works with ‘stop motion animation’ although producing more mainstream films such as ‘Grand Day Out’ with the characters Wallace and Gromit. These films inspired me due to the shared recurring themes of fantasy, myth and consumption. The Radiohead video ‘There There’ directed by Chris Hopewell also inspired as his style uses the same type of ‘jerkiness’ and surrealism that was created by Jan Svankmajer. I was also influenced by a Claymation film directed by Will Vinton, called ‘The Adventures of Mark Twain, The Mysterious Stranger’. This was due to the same ongoing themes throughout, such as the location, which is set in a fantasy world, and has themes of consumption and myths too. It also has religious connotations in it due to its on going scenes with the Devil in it, which can relate to part of the Minotaur sequence in my production film, as the location is set in the underworld (Hell).

When planning out my film, I decided to make animated mythical creatures out of plasticine, I did this because I wanted to create unique characters, such as Morph. The reasons why I chose to make Mythical creatures is because it comes from a classical tradition of storytelling, like ‘Alice’, a fantasy world where something does not have to make sense and is essentially surreal. I created models of mermaids, a unicorn, a Minotaur and a Cyclops because these creatures are taken from myths and legends and are regular features of fantasy films. ‘Food’ also inspired me narratively as I wanted the Cyclops character to enter each world and consume food. I did this by splitting the screen so it looks like the Cyclops leaves the last world and enters the new one in a unique way, which leads the audience to enter a new story but still as the same themes running throughout it, so it doesn’t confuse them. In the Minotaur sequence I wanted to give the world a dark and creepy look, like a nightmare, to create a contrast to the other worlds; I did this by using Jan Svankmajer’s jerky style.

In the unicorn world I decided to integrate moral and philosophical meaning into it, because God and religion can also be seen as a myth to people, because religion is like a story passed down to generations, just like a myth; The binary oppositions of the unicorn world, which is set in heaven and the clouds, to the mermaid world, which can be seen as the centre (Earth), and then the Minotaur world which is seen as underworld (Hell), shows the desire for temptation.

In the unicorn world I decided to integrate moral and philosophical meaning into it, because God and religion can also be seen as a myth to people, because religion is like a story passed down to generations, just like a myth; The binary oppositions of the unicorn world, which is set in heaven and the clouds, to the mermaid world, which can be seen as the centre (Earth), and then the Minotaur world which is seen as underworld (Hell), shows the desire for temptation.

FM3 - The Creative Project

FM3 - The Creative Project

Screenplay: ‘It’s A Woman’s World’

1. INT. INSIDE A CAR ON A NEW YORK STREET. DAY.

MAX looks out of the window of his car profoundly, and is constantly checking the time of his expensive watch.

2. INT. MADAMES DE L’AMOUR GENTLEMANS CLUB. DAY.

RENEE rushes around her small dressing room, adorned with vases of lilac and white lilies. Quickly checking her face and hair, she dashes out the door and through the dimly lit, skinny corridor to reach the side of the vast stage. She smoothes down her lilac sequined corset with fringed skirt, her signature colour.

3. EXT. NEW YORK SIDE STREET. DAY.

MAX chucks a 10 dollar note at the driver and dashes out of the cab, making a fast pace towards a rundown building, noting the poster on the side advertising ‘Viola, a beauty from within’, making a slight nod to the grubby looking doorman.

4. INT. MADAMES DE L’AMOUR GENTLEMANS CLUB. DAY.

RENEE enters the stage to cheers from her audience, a large amount for a daytime show. The room in which she is about to perform in is dark, coloured in deep reds and purples. The chairs adorn velvet covers, and the men that perch on them are just as dark and sultry as the room they sit in. The music kicks in, she is introduced as VIOLA, and she begins her burlesque act. The audience looks on, entranced by her.

MAX slowly walks into the room and instantly realises what the fuss was about. He takes a seat in a dim corner booth and is captivated by VIOLA, as she sensually dances to the music.

RENEE finishes her act to loud applause, and sashays off the stage to her minute dressing room. She slips out of her stage costume and quickly throws on a purple wrap dress, pushes her large tortoise shell sunglasses onto her face, and places the large black floppy hat on her head. She throws her black cape over her shoulders. RENEE picks up her handbag and briskly leaves the room, walking quickly towards the back exit of the club. As she is about to leave, she is approached by a man in a suit; the manager of the club, BURT.

BURT: Here’s your tips doll. You’re the hottest piece of ass I have managed to find in a long time, you’re bringing in the big bucks baby!

RENEE: Um, thanks.

RENEE accepts the cash, and watches him walk away before she leaves. She mutters to herself as she leaves the club.

(Note: This is an extract from the completed screenplay of 1,800 words)

Film Studies: Screenplay Reflective Analysis

For my Film A2 coursework, I decided to create a Screenplay based around two characters, Renee and Max. I chose to do the opening scenes to the movie, as I thought this would give the reader a taster to how the film would play out if further developed, and can really leave the screenplay open for exploration to the reader.

My storyline was inspired by the film Belle De Jour, as I was interested in showing a glamorous side to an industry which is usually perceived as seedy and trashy. One part I was interested in was carrying a French theme throughout the film despite it being set in New York, as I am particularly interested by the French New Wave, and wanted my work to have some form of influence from this era, and from films such as Breathless. My audience therefore would be familiar with both the technical and narrative aspects of the French New Wave and understand the approach to the subject matter that I’ve used. Viewing my character from a more personal perspective is something that I wanted to convey and I believe that this has been achieved, to a certain extent, as Renee/Viola is never portrayed as one-dimensional, an approach that is a significant New Wave component.

The relationship between Michel and Patricia in Breathless was particularly inspiring, as it had a dark meaning behind it, and that was the kind of image I was considering when creating the character of Max, as I wanted him to be a mysterious, shady type of person. When imagining the character of Renee, I actually based her on both Patricia in Breathless, and Severine in Belle De Jour. I loved the idea that Renee would have similar attributes to Patricia, in that she would be a very aspiring and ambitious woman, yet easily seduced. My influence for Severine drew the idea of Renee’s stage name and alter ego; Viola. Viola is a much more classy version of Renee, an elegant and sexy woman. I was inspired by Severine as I feel Belle De Jour is a much more reserved film, more classy in its interpretation of women, and ultimately as escorts. My audience may see the similarities in the portrayal of these characters and would be able to appreciate the subtle hints and possible intertextual references involved in the narrative and characterisations employed.

I think one factor I feel could have been developed on is the fluidity of my screenplay. When read, my screenplay would have been quite a small section of the film despite the length of the text, as I chose to focus my screenplay mostly on the mise-en-scene, to ensure the script could really ‘play out’ in the readers mind, and so an image could be created from my screenplay rather than heavily featuring dialogue. I think that because of this however my script suffered in its fluency. I could have rectified this by perhaps adding more, short scenes rather than such lengthy ones like I did. This would have made my screenplay a lot more fluid, rather than written in blocks, which is how I perceived it. It would also have greater resembled a New Wave format in the way it progressed at pace. Nevertheless, as New Wave films are generally heavily spontaneously composed, when directed and edited these elements could be further enhanced.

I was happy with how I chose to focus on mise-en-scene throughout my text, as I think this really broadened my script. By focusing on the description and exploration of the mise-en-scene, I think that it helped give a deeper feel to the text, and contributed towards my text really being as detailed and intricate as I believe it is. Audiences would definitely be able to feel the ‘seediness’ I intended to include in the scenes to create a more complete atmosphere.

My intention for this script was to insert dialogue at the right moments, and I think this was important as a script without dialogue would have been unrealistic, and would have become more of an essay than a screenplay. I think that I used an appropriate amount of dialogue in my script, as it is enough to understand what is happening in my text, yet not so much that it becomes too much. The dialogue that is used is mostly between Max and Renee. I thought this was really important to ensure a connection is made between the pair right from the beginning of my film. This is also important as I did write this as if it would be a very long film, and it is important that the viewer would grasp the relationship and the chemistry between Max and Renee right from the very beginning. I think this has been achieved successfully as the scene and the language used function to set up their characters extremely well.

My mise-en-scene is used in the correct places to not only help describe the places in which the film would be set, but also helps create a persona for Renee, and really helps to symbolise what her character represents. I think that it contributed to presenting the character in such a feminine way, and by describing things such as the clutter of her house in so much detail, I think this helped to show how I envisaged the character of Renee to be, and how catastrophic and energetic her life could be.

Overall I feel I succeeded in creating a detailed yet fluid screenplay. Despite there being a few things I could have perhaps improved on, overall I am happy with how my screenplay has turned out.

FM3 - The Creative Project

Reflective Analysis

I created a short film titled “Untitled 4” which was influenced by Stan Brakhage and Zineb Sedira. Abstract work such as these types are for an art house audience and would therefore be seen in galleries. This would be the most appropriate place for screening as the work is essentially intended as an ‘Art’ installation and would be appreciated here.

My influences from Brakhage and Sedira are very different. Brakhage painted ink on glass to create very atmospheric and aesthetically pleasing films such as “Black Ice“, whereas Sedira created a structured narrative for her film, which was then time-lapsed, called “Don’t do to her what you did to me.” In both films the artist uses ink therefore I used these techniques to create an avant-garde film by pouring different coloured ink into a jar and filming the results. Sedira used this technique to present a story whereas Brakhage used techniques that physically have ink on glass. I used Sedira’s idea of ink submerged in water, as I was already very intrigued by the movement and flow of the ink staining the water.

I was influenced by Sedira’s use of close-ups and still shots therefore I adopted these techniques by filming the jar and allowing the colours to slowly change and merge in a shot. All of these techniques together helped me create a mesmerising film. Brakhage often used atmospheric still images accompanied by non-diegetic music that is very ambient making an audience think by using sound and visuals. This is the impression I wanted to create for my film and I therefore used non-diegetic sound to create similar results by making my film more ‘dreamlike’.

I was inspired by Brakhage’s use of colours in his films and wanted to inject that into my work through editing, I made the colours more vivid by using the solarise tool on final cut, this then makes the colours change as the film progressed. I feel this effect produces a more thought provoking atmosphere, because it’s more dreamlike and out of context, the audience would not recognise this or would have seen before. Derek Jarman has made experimental avant-garde films where he has used a layering effect in a number of his works (such as ‘The Queen Is Dead’); I was influenced by this effect because it gives different depth of field to the pieces. I decided to add this effect into my film to make a more art house film and create confusion in an audience as to what they are looking at.

The concept of Brakhage’s film is to be aesthetically pleasing and thought provoking such as “Black Ice” is reflecting the flash of lights and colours we see when we close our eyes, this makes an audience think differently and create a different mind set because it’s something we have not seen before. I found this quite inspiring because it’s so imaginative, thus I wanted to make my film on a object that people have never seen before from my own perspective of something that relaxes me. I’m inspired by the original ideas that Brakhage has shown and wanted to make a unique film of my own by using effects such as colour enhancer and solarise creating bursts of colours reflecting space that create a thought about the universe as a whole. This then makes my film have a philosophical meaning that is very deep and hopefully provokes an audience to reflect while being relaxed and mesmerised.

During filming I had the camera on a tripod and the camera tilted landscape with an extremely close up of the jar, only a part of the jar was filmed with sides of the background showing. I felt this was not correct because it wasn’t filling the screen and creating the correct thought provoking atmosphere. As well as that, an audience would be able to see that it’s ink in a jar, this then would facilitate an argument about its ‘highbrow’ positioning as it was shot without the correct care and attention that most artistic works are given. For that reason I decided to tilt the camera portrait and fill the whole screen with an extremely close up shot of the jar with the ink coming into the left, this then created a stronger atmospheric look on the film, because the close up shot is making the audience see something that they have not seen before adding a sense of confusion.

I made four films which then I made into a split screen to show how I would want the audience to see the film as a whole, because if my film was in a art gallery the four films would be projected onto four different walls, but because I haven’t got an art gallery I have created this split screen effect so the audience and see the film as I want it to be shown. To enhance the artistic atmosphere I decided to add non-diegetic ambient music to all four films and made the music start at different times, this makes the atmosphere more superior as the ambient music will be coming from different parts of the room if it was in an art gallery. I like my idea of making the music begin at different times and in different areas in the room as this adds to the disorientating effect upon the audience.

FM3 - The Creative Project

‘Paintworks’ Evaluation

I have produced a low budget experimental, art film titled ‘Paintworks’. Throughout the production of the film I tried to incorporate as many techniques from my influences as possible. This is in order to ensue that my piece would be appropriate for my target audience. This would include art lovers/students and is likely to be shown in galleries.

One of my main influences for this piece would be artist, sculptor and experimental filmmaker Len Lye. After having viewed an exhibition of his, at the Ikon art gallery, I was able to see how a moving image piece worked in its own environment. I tried to incorporate his ideas of experimenting with colour and movement into my work. In particular, his 1935 film, ‘A Colour Box’ was very influential with its use of abstract paintings of patterns. Lye painted these abstract images directly onto the film itself, which is a technique I could have tried for my own film. I, however, chose not to adopt this technique as I took influence from Albert Irvin for my painting idea.

Albert Irvin is an expressionist painter, whose work is often described as having a ‘restless energy’. I tried to imitate this energy in my film by using similar techniques, such as using bright colours and adding occasional brush strokes. Another influential aspect of his work is his use of layering (screen prints). I took this idea of over-laying images into account when editing my film; I mimicked this layering technique in the editing process of my film. I used several over-lays throughout my film, which actually distorted much of the lighting of the image. This did in fact have a negative effect on some of the film by making them seem somewhat faded. This, in particular, happened more than once towards the end of the film. However, despite some of the problems this caused, in parts, it worked very well. For example, with the slowed down clips, it does create quite a hypnotic feel to the film. Despite the obvious differences in layering film and screen prints, the principle idea does remain the same and creates a good effect. A further reason for taking on board the work of Albert Irvin would be to add appeal for my target audience. Had I only used the influence of filmmakers I may have missed may target audience of artists.

It is in this artist research that the planning for my production began. As I had chosen to film, what essentially became a series of paintings, I planned what it was I actually wanted to present. The final painting or the process of the painting? I feel that the decision to create a film that showed the process of the painting ended successfully as it gave me a lot more footage to work with. It also added more opportunity for the audience to add their own meaning to the film. Finally, it enabled me to experiment with more techniques typical of an art film, due to there being many different shots to look at.

This experimentation with colour used by Irvin, is also a technique used by filmmaker Stan Brakhage. My use of movement and light was also something that came from viewing Brakhage’s work. His work is often described as being ‘moving, visual, thinking’. I liked the idea this idea of creating s very aesthetic film. After further research of Brakhage’s work I found that the way in which his films are formed can often be quite hypnotic. I tried to recreate this effect in my own film by adopting some of his techniques, such as a small amount of hand-held camera work and also fast paced editing.

Using the technique of hand-held camera work not only referenced Stan Brakhage in my film, but also added to the hypnotic feel I wanted to take from looking at his work. I feel this is definitely a technique I could have used much more throughout my film, as the majority was shot with the use of a tripod. Although, this enabled me to focus on what was being filmed, making the extreme close-ups work well, I feel the hand-held pieces added much more to the strange atmosphere of the film. Especially with the combination of over-laying and altering the speed of the original film. By experimenting with these techniques, I feel that I achieved a fairly atmospheric piece.

I also adopted Brakhage’s experimentation with light by using a mixture of lighting techniques. I found that the most successful was the use of the torchlight. I shone the torch onto the paintings that were being filmed to help add to the atmospheric mood I was trying to create. The light seemed to add more depth, making it more appropriate for its target audience. The selection of non-diegetic sound adds to this extra dimension, creating a stronger feeling of intensity.

This use of atmospheric music can be linked to the works of Derek Jarman. This experimental filmmaker has been described as ‘A master of evocative sound and music’. In particular, his film ‘Sebastine’ has a score that creates an intense mood. I chose to adopt this style in order to add to the hypnotic feel I was aiming to achieve. Once again, this technique helps to ensure that my film meets the appropriate, more high brow, audience. By cutting and editing my film to the music chosen, it creates a smooth finish to my film. I chose to edit it in this way, as opposed to fitting the track around the film, simply because I felt the piece of music had the perfect mood that I wanted my film to have. Therefore, I did not want to alter the track so that this mood was not disrupted.

After filming the process of one painting, I began the editing process but soon found that this did not provide enough footage to create a 5-minute film, despite having shot over an hour of footage. This was one major thing that I took from this production, it is essential to ensure that more than enough footage is shot in order to allow plenty of film when it comes to editing. I then proceeded to go and film a further amount of footage, which gave me plenty to work and experiment with whilst editing for the finished product.

FM4 - Spectatorship - Experimental and Expanded Film/Video

FM4 - Spectatorship - David Lynch Commercials: Experimental and Expanded Film/Video

FM4/MS4: Postmodern Theory - 'Fight Club'/'The Matrix'

FM4 - Urban Stories: La Haine

Read an interesting review of 'La Haine' here.

Watch a video analysis of the opening 10 minutes of 'La Haine' below:

FM4 - Urban Stories: City of God/La Haine

A2 Film - URBAN STORIES - Power, Poverty and Conflict on Prezi

FM4 - Specimen Exam Paper

Section A: Specialist Study: Urban Stories - Power, Poverty and Conflict

Your answer should be based on a minimum of two films.

Either,

5. What is the importance of cinematography and/or editing in communicating issues of power, poverty and conflict in the films you have studied for this topic? [35]

Or,

6. How far do the films you have studied for this topic challenge the audience, generating debate about the worlds they represent? [35]

Section B: Spectatorship: Experimental and Expanded Film/Video

Your answer should be based on a minimum of two films.

Either,

13. Discuss some of the ways in which the film or video work you have studied for this topic requires a different kind of spectatorship from that which spectators bring to their mainstream film-going. [35]

Or,

14. Experimental and Expanded film/video works are often perceived as being 'difficult', As a spectator, how far has this been your experience with the films you have studied for this topic? [35]

Section C: Single Film: Close Critical Study Choose ONE question from this section.

Your answer should make detailed reference to your chosen film.

17. Explore some of the ways in which you have gained fresh insights into your chosen film as a result of applying one or more specific critical approaches. [30]

18. How important have been the responses of others, such as film reviewers, in influencing your own response to your chosen film? [30]

Or,

Specific Questions

26. Explore the contribution of visual style to the overall themes of Fight Club. [30]

FM4 - Specimen Exam Paper

Section A: Specialist Study: Urban Stories - Power, Poverty and Conflict

Your answer should be based on a minimum of two films.

Either,

5. Compare the attitudes to poverty conveyed in the films you have studied for this topic. [35]

Or,

6. Explore how stylistic choices contribute to the representation of the urban experience in the films you have studied for this topic. [35]

Section B: Spectatorship: Experimental and Expanded Film/Video

Your answer should be based on a minimum of two films.

Either,

13. Explore some of the ways in which you have engaged as a spectator with film/video works you have studied for this topic. [35]

Or,

14. In the films you have studied for this topic, discuss how far their production techniques and/or ways in which they are presented challenge the spectator. [35]

Section C: Single Film: Close Critical Study Choose ONE question from this section.

Your answer should make detailed reference to your chosen film.

17. Explore some of the ways in which placing your chosen film within a broader critical framework has helped to develop your appreciation and understanding of specific sequences. [30]

18. How far has critical debate about your chosen film shaped and altered your response? [30]

Or,

Specific Questions

26. Discuss critically some of the characteristics of Fight Club that have given it cult status as a film. [30]