Sample Annotated Catalogue

Here is another sample annotated catalogue. Use it as a guide for structure and the content required.

First draft deadline: 20/10/17

Baz Luhrmann films constantly re-interpret classic narratives; can this make him an auteur?

Item 1: Romeo and Juliet (Dir Baz Luhrmann, 1996). This source is useful as it is one of the main films  Luhrmann has created. It depicts an old tragedy transformed into a re-interpreted version of the original play, which is a regular theme of Luhrmann’s. Luhrmann uses the old English language that Shakespeare intended but uses the mise-en-scene of the 20th century lifestyle. Although the mise en scene is modern it also has religious aspects like the statue of Christ, this also gives an element of history. The costumes of the characters represent their status’ which allows the audience to interact with the visual context, making it an ideal example to refer to for my topic.

Item 2: Moulin Rouge (Dir. Baz Luhrmann, 2001). Very useful source, it shows how Luhrmann uses music from his adolescence this gives the film a sense of modernisation because the music is from the 80’s. The music allows the audience to relate to the narrative because they are familiar with the score. The film is a love story which is shown through music and poetry this gives a classic theme similar to that of Shakespeare. The mise-en-scene from the 1800’s interlinks with the music making it a modern re-interpretation of a classic love story.

Item 3: Australia (dir. Baz Luhrmann, 2008). Very helpful, tells a historical story doesn’t have a modified re-interpretation to the film but does have the same strong romantic narrative which plays a big part in how the films are modernised. This source doesn’t represent the usual interpretations which Luhrmann normally uses: it is set in the past so we can see how society changes over time which helps the audience to relate to the film because of the diverse use of discrimination. The source makes the audience think how different it was then to how it is now.

Magazines

Item 4: Interview with cast of Moulin Rouge and Baz Luhrmann (Empire magazine, 2001). This was a good piece of research as it not only showed how the director transformed the films into a re-interpretation, but it explains why he chose to do so. A quote from the article says that he explores his younger years by using modern music from the 80’s. The article mentions Luhrmann using an ancient myth for the play within the film which gives it another re-interpretation from the past. This source is useful because it gives detailed explanation to why Luhrmann uses the re-interpretation of his childhood music and the ancient myth.

Item 5: Magazine article on Moulin Rouge (Total film, 2001). This source gives a variety of relevant information about the modern re-interpretation which Luhrmann uses within his films, a quote says to expect the unexpected. Luhrmann is said to have used elements of plots from the plays La Boheme, Tosca and La Traviata, which are very classic plays, he uses older elements as well as some modern ones too. This source shows the logic behind his re-interpretations, a quote from Luhrmann: musicals contain music which the audience already have a relationship with. It also refers to the use of music which is taken from Luhrmann’s younger year the 70’s.

Item 6: Magazine article on Moulin rouge (Sound and light article, 2001). This source is valuable because it explains the modern re-interpretation which Luhrmann uses in his films, a quote says; he uses a combination of pop culture references and sung dialogue; this is one of Luhrmann’s traits as a director. This could suggest that Luhrmann is an auteur because of his own unique style. The source also says that ‘the story of Moulin Rouge is as faithful as Pearl Harbour which is an historic classic; with these two elements combined it explains the modern re-interpretation which Luhrmann is known for. This states that Luhrmann could be an auteur because he modernises classic narratives.

Item 7: Review of Romeo and Juliet, Empire magazine. http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/review.asp?FID=3654. This source is good; it explains how the director re-interprets the well known text into a modern day film. It shows how Luhrmann uses the MTV style of film making and transforms the play. This source also mentions how Luhrmann is able to make genres that are out of date into modern styled films which appeal to the public today. The source shows that the film has been re-interpreted into a popular film that the new generation can relate too.

Internet Articles

Item 8: Interview with Baz Luhrmann about Moulin Rouge, the Hollywood Interview, 2001. http://thehollywoodinterview.blogspot.com/2010/02/baz-luhrmann-moulin-rouge-hollywood.html. This source is very useful because it shows that Luhrmann has his own traits he is like an auteur, his films are described as heightened reality. The source explains the different elements that Luhrmann uses like theatre, opera; traditional cinema and pop culture which combined make a totally new genre. Quote from the article, it’s almost as if he took all the music videos, studio musicals, pop albums, and stage productions of the last 100 years and stuck them together to make Moulin Rouge.

Item 9: Interview with Baz Luhrmann, The guardian 2001. http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/baz-luhrmann . This source is helpful because it shows why Luhrmann became a director and how he found his love for musicals. Even at a young age he created his first play, strictly ballroom, which was made in a heightened metaphorical style and became his first film. This interview also shows how Luhrmann was influence by his parents; his mother was a dancer and his father was a cinema owner. Luhrmann says that the story of Romeo and Juliet was modified by William Shakespeare from a Greek play which demonstrates that stories are just use over again just adapted to the time which it is recreated, this shows how William Shakespeare also re-interpreted others work. This can be used because it shows Luhrmann’s childhood influenced his style and career choice.

FM3 - Creative Project: Sample Reflective Analysis

Reflective Analysis (1,000 word)

Aims and Context – ‘LIFETIME’ 

• Short independent film with experimental techniques 
• Shown to a film festival audience, however could also be shown in art gallery 
• Influences – Mike Figgis (Timecode), Darren Aronofsky (Pi), Andy Warhol (Chelsea Girls), Maya Deren ( Meshes of the Afternoon). 
• Target Audience – Male or female, possibly older generation if art gallery. Also, could appeal to film students. 
• Cinematography – documentary style similar to Timecode – continuous takes 

Reflective Analysis – Experimental Film – ‘LIFETIME’

I have produced a short experimental film called ‘LIFETIME’ based around the philosophy of French thinker Michel Foucault. His philosophy provides two focuses to the film’s themes. The first - nobody knows where or what we really do, the second being the idea of the student and his master. With these themes in mind, I also tried to combine this with influences from both mainstream and experimental filmmakers. This meant that my target audience covered quite a varied field: both mainstream film festival audiences and art gallery audiences. In this evaluation, I am going to cover the influences for my film as well as how it appeals to its target audience, commenting on the themes and stylistic features.

My main influence for ‘LIFETIME’ was filmmaker Mike Figgis. His use of split-screen in the film ‘Timecode’ captures a sense of realism, covering four different perspectives of the same scene. In my film, I attempted to re-create this idea, using four separate screens to depict four different interpretations of time: each screen shows the repetition of a life’s work, slowly dying out when the ‘lifetime’ ends. The visual metaphor here is the four screens becoming like a clock, gradually going around and around until they stop. Combined with the split screens, Figgis also uses a continous take : the four screens are all one long handheld shot, in one take. I attempted to re-create this, however it became difficult to direct the actors for such a long period of time.  As well as the use of split screen, Mike Figgis’ work also inspired me to combine narrative and experimental techniques, in order to appeal to both filmgoers and art-goers. The hard-working professor back-story to the central character is quite a mainstream narrative element and combined with the experimental visuals, provides a viewing experience for a wider target audience.

The second of my more mainstream influences was Darren Aronofsky’s film ‘Pi’. The film inspired me to use a narrative, one that also combines experimental and mainstream elements. This links to the master-student Michel Foucault philosophy: the relationship between Max and his teacher inspired me to do something similar, instead with a younger version of the same character. However, this did not work as successfully as I had hoped: the flashback scene is too short and does not clearly indicate the message I was trying to express. As well as this, the use of high contrast black and white in ‘Lifetime’ was inspired by ‘Pi’, as it creates a clinical feel to the film. The repetition and dull nature of ‘Lifetime’ fits well with its black and white imagery. It also gives an ambiguity to the film’s contexts, the locations all look non descript and bleak and therefore could be anywhere.   

As well as mainstream influences, the two experimental filmmakers that inspired me were Andy Warhol and Maya Deren. Andy Warhol’s use of split screen in ‘Chelsea Girls’ inspired me to use a similar technique. His use of split screen in the film tends to highlight each figure : the contrast in black and white imagery and colour imagery suggests something about the characters themselves. I attempted to incorporate this into ‘Lifetime’, during the flashback sequence, by using a soft blur on two of the four screens. In the same way as Warhol, this allowed to separate the two events, showing an element of split personality : it is the same character split between sanity and insanity. Despite this, I found it difficult to maintain a split screen throughout the film, partly due to time constraints and also due to the visual impracticalities of having four screens constantly visible. Warhol mamages to avoid this by using two screens – as it is not as visually imposing or demanding for the viewer.

Finally, Maya Deren’s film ‘Meshes of the Afternoon’ was also an inspiration for my film. Within the film, Maya Deren’s physical performance was something I attempted to re-create. Unlike many other films of that time, Deren does not over-act or emphasize facial expression, thus creating a more subtle experimental performance. As there were four screens in my film, I wanted to make sure that one did not dominate, and the way to achieve this was to use realistic and subtle acting. This creates a feel of watching from four different angles, almost like a CCTV camera. Maya Deren’s film, inspired me to use a similar experimental approach to directing actors : both her and Hammid’s performances are toned down, often presenting the viewer with a question or ambiguity.                                

To conclude, it is clear that the influences above helped me to create a film that fits its target audience and genre. However, I do feel that my film could have included and used more elements in order to give it a clear focus. The issue I found was that the film does not fit into either experimental or mainstream film-making. Although this was my original intention, upon reflection I would have filmed and produced the film to be more experimental.

Creative Project

       
       1. 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.

      2. Screenplay or Short Film

     3.The 'Reflective Analysis' should be approx 1,000 words 

It should include/discuss: 

• How successful the work was produced in terms of meeting its aims and context. Themes, issues, style and music should be assessed in terms of appealing to its target audience. (Refer to key films and filmmakers/screenwriters whilst also highlighting and defining your intended means of exhibition - arthouse/mainstream/film festivals etc)

• How well you utilised certain styles, techniques and methods of production in your work. What was successful, less successful and/or unsuccessful in your intended aims (refer to your aims and context: be critical of your own work). 

• Give a critical account of exactly what your role was in the process and discuss; difficulties encountered in production (technical or group dynamics). Assess your own abilities; strengths/weaknesses. Refer to elements that you have altered to meet its aims.

• A discussion of what you have learnt about the filmmaking process and the difficulties that may be encountered by undertaking this practical exercise and a critical reflection of the whole process. 
• The supporting written work for this assignment should be detailed, concise and show a good grasp of all elements of the filmmaking/screenwriting process throughout. Your ability to identify styles, techniques and influences on your work should reflect a strong understanding of the chosen form you have worked within. 

Sample Catalogue Items: Various

Listed below are selected items from a variety of 'Annotated Catalogue's'

These will give you a solid guide for how to annotate different research material. These are not linked to one topic/subject, but will be useful to see how to summarise the content and usefulness of each resource item that you will be using to produce your Presentation Script. 

Film
Item 3: The Devil’s Backbone (Guillermo Del Toro, 2001). I chose this film as this film is also based on personal childhood experiences that have influenced certain aspects of the film. Additionally, in this film, like many of his other films the ‘villain’ is misunderstood to what he is trying to achieve. Also, the director linked both ‘The Devil’s Backbone’ and ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ for people he feels would enjoy the film more. Also, it shows elements religion throughout the film and so can be regarded as a key source for discussion around my topic, although not as relevant as my focus film.

Magazines
Item 6: Encore Magazine: A very useful article, written in August 2010. The article is based on the ‘believability scale’ of Tim Burton’s films. This article talks briefly about the films they have worked together on, but lacks detail as they are simply just listed. The pair are referred to as a ‘match made in heaven’, which is a bit of a cliché as all their work together is deep and dark. They are also said to be quirky and weird as they bring out the best in each other, which therefore helps them to produce the films to the best of their abilities as they add their own stamp to it and work together as a team.

Item 6: Time Magazine Interview with Michael Caine, (http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/dvd/the-prestige). In this magazine article Nolan is respected by the writer of this review showing his wide audience how well known his work is. It elaborates how his themes are almost predictable, as you know the ending at the beginning in most of them. This point being in a well-known magazine almost adds to the fact that his work is so well known and how much each piece assembles one another answering the question is he an auteur?

TV
Item 6: This is England on Newsnight Review: This review discusses how Meadows has contradicted the stereotypical view of skinheads as being grounded in racist views, showing the compassionate and heartfelt side of the culture. It also explores how he is able to depict youth culture without using the stereotypical view of violent gangs. The fact that they are far more realistic depictions of youth culture means that they are far more grounded in truth and so are far more relevant. I will use this to discuss how Meadows’ contradicts stereotypes in order to more successfully get his audience to question their beliefs.

Internet
Item 7: http://www.stevenspielberg.co.uk/  This is another useful source as it is Spielbergs own personal site. This, like Wikipedia, gives you a short biography on his life, and also information on his films but is far superior. The site contains some good discussion and insight into my 3 chosen films. This allows me to answer the central argument of my topic question as it backs up the reasons why he uses father figures in the vast majority of his films.

King Edward VI College Student wins 2 Awards @ WJEC Moving Image Awards 2015

Film, Media and Photography student Matt Sedgley was the major winner at the WJEC Moving Image Awards 2015 at  BFI’s London Southbank event on Friday 11th December.

Matt won 2 Awards at the event: (There were 734 entries)

Best Music Video 2015

Overall Winner 2015

"The standard of work submitted was once again exceptionally high, making it extremely difficult for the judges to shortlist. I have been overwhelmed by the volume and quality of entries this year.” Jeremy Points, Head of Creative Media Arts

You can watch Matt’s award winning video below:

Pictures from the event can be seen below:

https://www.facebook.com

Lizzie Pickering, ex Ch4 producer and now film producing, passed on Matt's video to Philip Selway from Radiohead (whom Matt had cited as band who had inspired him) and got the following congratulations!

  

Hi Matt

Congratulations on your award - really well deserved. You capture the energy and personality of the band brilliantly. Radiohead once did a video in a disused swimming pool for a song called Anyone Can Play Guitar - yours is better!

All the best

Philip

Sample 'Research Question' & 'Annotated Catalogue'

To what extent can breaking moral boundaries be regarded as Vincenzo Natali’s signature style?

Films:

1. CUBE (1997) Dir. Vincenzo Natali: Cube is a good example for research as it is the first film of Natali’s that explores societal issues and moral boundaries. The film’s main theme of imprisonment by higher authorities is expressed through the character’s names (named after prisons) and its ‘Kafkaesque’ setting. Despite having many of Cronenberg’s ‘body horror’ elements, Natali explores the metaphysical side of science fiction, rather than the physical. The metaphor of the ‘cube’ itself symbolises the never ending struggle people face every day in order to escape the ruling classes: the dominance of one social group over another is a classic Marxist ideology, used frequently in both Natali and Cronenberg’s productions.

2. NOTHING (2003)Dir. Vincenzo Natali: ‘Nothing’ focuses on the idea of two troubled individuals, who develop the ability to ‘hate away’ life’s problems. The emphasis on the moral boundaries involved in this is a key trait in Natali’s films and makes this film a key focal point of research. Despite its tabooed nature, suicide is a key theme throughout the film portraying the psychological effects of a disturbed childhood. This is very much inspired by Cronenberg’s tabooed and topical exploration of violence and relationships in ‘The Fly’ and ‘The Brood’.

3. SPLICE (2009) Dir. Vincenzo Natali: Natali’s latest film – and a valuable indication of his progress as a director - ‘Splice’, experiments with the direction science is headed and how easily moral boundaries can be broken within this field. Deemed as a modern day ‘Frankenstein’, the film explores the dangers of attempting to create a ‘perfect human’. The themes here pay distinct homage to ‘The Fly’; however Natali adds his own variation to this. The transformation of each creature is similar in both films; building up a sense of character and therefore the viewer is able to relate to the emotional performances of both Jeff Golblum and Delphine Chaneac. The sexual boundaries are explored through the dysfunctional sex scenes within the film. Natali’s intention for this was to test the viewer’s ability to comprehend the strange sexual desire. This draws inspiration from the dangerous sexual tendencies of Cronenberg’s ‘Crash’.

This example provides a good guide as to how to structure your catalogue and discuss WHY you have chosen each film in respect of your topic. It doesn't go into detailed analytical detail about the film itself in terms of key scenes (save that discussion for the presentation script). It does discuss how each item relates to the topic. You may also wish to state HOW useful it is to answering your proposal. 

The finished catalogue achieved an A grade by being as thorough throughout all items.

FM3 - Sample Reflective Analysis

Reflective Analysis

I have produced a short experimental film called ‘Something Stupid’. The philosophy behind the film was initially a hybrid of many themes, such as perceived beauty, fashion, relationships, the 1940’s and the famous film star Audrey Hepburn. To focus on my philosophical reasoning in more depth, the message I wanted to portray was the ideals of society and the happiness of the 1940’s with their ‘classiness’ and old-fashioned views particularly in the young, and the change in a society of today with themes such as alcoholism, partying etc. I wanted to show the popular culture of today in comparison to back then, and express the awkward feelings of identity that teenagers have when trying to find out who they are.

However, because I have been inspired by both mainstream and experimental cinema, I feel that the audience can appreciate the differing styles and that I have incorporated both into one film. In this way there is the potential for a wider range of audience, of a mainstream film festival and perhaps at an art gallery.

Influentially, I wanted to use a more dreamy state of film, as inspired by the rhythmic patterns and visuals ranging in beauty and intensity by Stan Brakhage. Particularly in his film “For Marilyn” (1992), I regarded him as someone who possessed the ability to conceive the idea of both the concept that distances the audience from the film so regularly in experimental cinema, and being able to materially and thematically push the boundaries of cinematic film to reveal universal qualities within its deep layers. The musically structured aesthetic of light moving in time to a pattern unheard as it is silent, paired with fleeting images of painted glass, took film in a new direction. Whereas many of the experimental films used asynchronous sound tactics to portray the feeling of the poetic relationship between sound and image, I liked the way that my response to the beautiful images was entirely through visuals.

With Brakhage in mind I employed many techniques such as layering my narrative with flashes of footage from a Skrillex concert rhythmically injected into the non-linear narrative of a girl putting her make-up on, 1940’s style. This was taken with a hand-held camera due to the circumstances of actually being in the crowd. To appeal to both filmgoers and art gallery enthusiasts I wanted to employ the aesthetic in a pleasing way, unlike the jarring and often annoying soundtracks to some experimental films; I didn’t feel mine had the depth to it that some of the films I studied such as ‘Koyaanisqatsi’ did, therefore the soundtrack of ‘Something Stupid’ by Frank and Nancy Sinatra I felt conveyed the clarity of the 1940’s being my theme throughout.

The mainstream influence was ‘Breakfast At Tiffany’s’, a 1961 mainstream film by Blake Edwards. Because I regarded experimental cinema as often quite bold in its dreamy state (such as Warhol, whose split screen techniques I took inspiration from to contrast the stark difference between the flashing fluorescent lights of the Skrillex concert and the peaceful, dreamy girl putting make up on in the mirror in 1940), I decided that to open my film, the best way to show this inspiration was to simply add it to my own. To express this significance, I filmed the trailer of ‘Breakfast At Tiffany’s’ and edited it, cutting it randomly here and there until I found parts with Fred and Holly that I found most romantic or in parallel to my own theme, and I feel that it lifts the light-heartedness of the film into mine. I wanted to show the ambiguity of the woman falling in love, and being a free spirit. In this way I wanted the message to be that the women of the 1940s had these options, and were never ‘tied down’ by men in the end, being able to retain their femininity and express themselves in their own free manner. I used the film clips of ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’, with the lovey-dovey theme prominent and happiness and gaiety as inspiration to film my own clips of women looking happily into the camera. With the opinion in mind that experimental cinema often has a way of making this unnerve the audience, I edited these clips in soft light, black and white stock and vignette to make them look more antique, faded and nostalgic. However, without being conscious of it, this editing made the topic of feminity I wanted to express look a little more like the homosexual film ‘Scorpio Rising’. Although this definitely adds some sort of edge to my film that I didn’t particularly want to be there, it does ease the roughness of the underage drinking and alcoholism shots afterwards, which is what I wanted to do.

In an attempt to be slightly avant-garde I regarded the use of the Courteeners’ audio as being quite out of place but at the same time fitting into the era, as the 1940s and the 2010s embrace pop culture and well-known idols (one idea was dressing my friend up as Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, or someone similar). The Courteeners’ song ‘You Overdid It Doll’ seems to show, to me, the cracks in the fashion and emotional times of today, as the lyrics of ‘space cadet dressed in fibre glass’ is interpreted to me as the flimsiness of a girl going out and dressing herself up, going too far to fit in amongst her ever-changing backdrop of manic teens drinking and making themselves up. I wanted the emotions teenagers often feel, such as ecstasy and happiness, to be reflected in the laughter of the getting ready in the 1940s – I wanted to use faded editing, soft lighting and generally a little more refined atmospheric film for this, and shots of laughter and happiness not induced by alcohol.

In conclusion, the influences I regard as a monumental significance on my filmmaking experience helped me target my audience and genre. However, I feel that despite the experimental cinema elements being often of a dream-like state, I would have in fact preferred to have taken a more focused approach. Upon reflection, my experimental film reached my intentions of showing the contrast between the femininity of the 1940’s and the lack of it today, but I feel that I should have added more mainstream elements to take it away from the ‘art-house’ genre, as it is not quite philosophical enough to fit into that either.

WJEC: Moving Image Awards 2015

The Moving Image Awards will recognise and celebrate the best moving image production work from students at schools and colleges offering WJEC qualifications in Film and Media Studies.

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.