15. Course Reflection

TCF 312 (and this semester in general) has been a whirlwind. For whatever reason, I've never had a semester that seemed to go by as quickly. I have learned or at least been exposed to numerous things because of this class. I have learned more about the fundamentals of film theory, the why to propel the how of filmmaking, which it seems often has mixed priorities. I really feel like my eyes have been opened to a different way of thinking about the filmmaking process. The readings in the Cinematography for Directors book were probably most beneficial for that, followed by The Filmmaker's Eye. Since I have an interest in directing more than being a cinematographer, those books clarified the most important thing for me, which is the thought process. I've spent a lot of time worrying about how things will work out in my life, when really knowing the why is the more important knowledge. Understanding the reasons a film goes through from an idea in someone's head to a finished film in a theater is vastly more important than understanding how every piece of equipment or technology works. This class also helped me (through our class discussions and readings) to become more familiar with the different roles and working relationships in filmmaking, which had previously been kind of a grey area for me.

Theory aside, however, I was very happy to be able to use more equipment in this class, because I can remember going in the equipment room in 201 and being so frustrated; I didn't know what half of it was, and I had no way to find out or start using it. Now I feel like I have a much better grip on some of the tools at my disposal. And while our lighting textbook was rather dry, I did learn a good bit of information about the technical aspects of gripping and gaffing.

Aside from all that, I think 312 really gave me a good opportunity to try a lot of things out that had been swimming around in my head. I appreciate the emphasis on shooting actual projects outside of class because it was more beneficial and more gratifying. It takes a lot of time and coordination, but I think it's the best part of a class like this. In my opinion the in-class exercises or short partner type things were not nearly as helpful. That might just be my personality, but I don't like to halfway try something or do it just to know how it works- it doesn't stick for me. Showing me how to use a dolly is pointless until I have a really great shot to film with a dolly, and then that knowledge is useful and it stays with me. So I particularly enjoyed the longer-form projects.

Overall, this class was like putting on training wheels, but at least finally being able to ride. The next step, of course, will be taking off the training wheels and shooting more advanced projects independently, but I know this class has prepared me well.

14. My Reel

My Director/DP Reel

[link]

13. Examples of Reels

I think a good DP reel should show, at a basic level, the person's competence with cameras and film theory. In addition to that, it should show a person's overall style, meaning what they enjoy shooting or excel at shooting. If a DP has a knack for creating a certain kind of image or mood or feeling then they should display that in the reel. Finally, I think in an ideal world, a DP's reel should give a sense of what it's like to work with that person. What is the tone of their work and therefore their work personality? Does the reel show someone that is very serious and meticulous behind the camera, or someone who works very organically and finds beauty in imperfection? How does that mesh with your working style as the director/producer/whatever of the project? That part is the hardest to show because as the cinematographer you probably don't ever turn the camera on yourself. You have the use the shots you've taken of other people and have those visuals somehow represent you. The editing, music, order of the shots, even the font you choose also play a part in how you represent yourself as a working cinematographer. That's what I tried to do with my reel (maybe it worked, maybe it didn't) but I think that's an element I would want to see when watching someone else's reel.

This reel does an excellent job of showing a persons's style, and I think a bit of his personality as well. He edited the piece with a specific attention to the music and how it fit with his images. I think it gives a clear picture of his personal vision and his ability to tell stories through his images.

http://reels.creativecow.net/film/dan-parsons-dp-reel

12. Scripted Scene Assignment

312 Scene Assignment

Desperate Housewives
DP: Bryan Anders
Focus Puller: Sean Dave

11. Pre-Production for Scene Assignment

For my scene assignment, I chose to re-imaginge a scene from Desperate Housewives. I started with the script and tried to take everything at face value without giving too much weight to what I know about the actual show (easier because I've never really seen it). The script is about a young housewife who has a very mundane life and tells the viewer in a cheerful monologue about the day she shot herself.
I took that basic skeleton and began sketching things out and gathering photographs that I wanted to represent my version of this story. I decided to set it in present day, but include a lot of anachronistic visual elements to compound her out-dated housewife lifestyle and contrast with the more modern housewife at the end of the scene. Her dress style, hair, etc. came from drawings of women in the 1950's. The house itself wasn't able to be altered except very minimally, so I decided to only show very specific parts. I excluded things that were overtly electronic or modern, at least until the end with Housewife #2. I also wanted to play up the main character's "innocent little girl" angle by including a lot of florals and bright, cheerful, feminine colors. In the finished product we have floral prints on her dress, flowers by the door, flowers on the table, flowers in the garden... And I don't think you notice them very much when casually watching, but they helped to set the mood visually. For the second housewife we knew we wanted to limit the amount of red you see until the last part where she cleans the spilled blood/medicine. I also prepped with her and she came to set with her hair down and kind of tousled, smoky eyeshadow, several options for a fitted dress, etc. The details of the house, the lenses/angles, and props were all planned meticulously.
When I brought Bryan on as DP, we talked about what kind of overall color we wanted and what kind of lenses we wanted to use to fit the style. We were able to communicate easily about what we thought it should look and feel like, and that conversation carried on until the final edit of the project. In the end, there was about a month between our initial preparations and the day we actually shot. It was nice to have that time because it helped to cement everything, but I don't think the vision changed much during that downtime, it just gave me time to make sure I hadn't forgotten any elements.

I put together the standard production notebook; as an example her are my storyboards.

10. Motivated Movement

Motivated camera movement is a concept I wasn't familiar with per se prior to this class. It's something that you should be aware of as you watch movies, but it doesn't always have a clever name. In my projects, I have been making a more conscious effort to add movement in ways that elevate the visual "story" of the shot. Below are some examples of camera movement that I like:

This clip from The Shining follows the little boy as he rides through the hotel on his trike. It mirrors the opening of the film where we followed the family's car to the hotel via helicopter shots. This long steadicam shot also feels like we are flying over the surface of the ground, gliding after the boy like a malevolent spirit. It would be creepy, even if it were set in a nice Holiday Inn. I think this is a perfect example of movement contributing to the "gift" of the shot.

http://youtu.be/tSpbZiTx724

This next shot from Scream is an example of movement that fringes on being un-motivated. While I like it from a technical standpoint, I don't feel like it adds much to the story. We come down on Sydney's high school and then move in via steadicam to medium shots of various characters. Like I said, I love the creativity of the camera movement (I think in the commentary it says the operator came down standing on a platform of a crane or something), but I've watched it with several people and they never really notice r appreciate it. It might as well have been static shots, because we as the audience don't feel a particular connection to this point of view. As contrasted to the clip from The Shining, where the movement mimics an omniscient being, here we just glide down from the sky and into Sydney's face for no apparent reason.
The shot starts at 16:45.

http://youtu.be/F4YDz4-H924

9. Inspiring Short Film

This might be my favorite short film of all time. "How To Fly A Kite" revolves around a young man on a mission to start his own cult, in order to expose the truth about the evil alien Hamitars. Hamitars, as he explains, are the intergalactic predecessor to our popular American entree the hamburger. Unfortunately, he is still the only member of his cult, and no one else seems to be interested in learning the nasty truth about Hamburgers, the Blarpin Cube, or Regis Philbin (an evil alien in disguise-- are you surprised?). I love everything about this short film, from the acoustic guitar soundtrack to the half-matching voiceover narrator to the mountaintop climax with another lonely trailblazer. It inspires me because it is a very deliberate kind of chaos; an intentional (and no doubt thoroughly planned) exercise in meandering. I think a feature film equivalent might be something like Lost In Translation. I admire those types of films that make so much work look very effortless, and I think it's easier to enjoy a film that you can let just wash over you without it pounding it's chest and constantly grabbing your attention with high-budget hyper realism. On the other hand, this kind of short/feature is not the most entertaining-->popular-->lucrative. But it's a nice change of pace, at least for me. So give it a try!

How To Fly A Kite from Paul Trillo on Vimeo.

8. Shot x Shot Analysis

I chose to do my scene analysis on the opening of American Horror Story's second episode.

We  begin with a tracking shot around the back of a car and over to the all-important house.

This wide shot establishes that we are in the same house now inhabited by the family, but (as shown through a title card dated 1968) at an earlier time. Framing is no terribly interesting, but time of day/lighting helps establish the creepy mood.

We follow an unidentified character down the steps. Showing her from the back is, if nothing else, more engaging.

Now we see the group of three girls from the front. Showing them coming down the stairs lets us get a logical low angle, but also establishes them as powerful.

Close up of Sidekick A, smiling coyly. Blue lighting from above, with a hint of the red lamp light mixed in.

We follow the characters down the staircase.

Close up Sidekick B, also smiling in an unpleasant way. Gives us information on her character quickly and efficiently; she is not a nice girl. Same thing with mixed lighting.

All three girls exit frame, leaving a creepy staircase on a sweet-spot third.

Abrupt cut to rack focus on an old game show, establishing both era and feel. For some reason this particular game show is unsettling.

Pan down on a character reading a novel. Frame obscured by her shadowy body, a stylistic choice made in many of the following shots, especially over-the-shoulder shots.

Wide shot as the three characters enter the living room and berate the Nice Girl. Lighting is moody and greenish, punctuated with the yellow-white lamps. There is a light coming from behind Nice Girl acting as a kicker, shown in the following shot.

OTS from mean girl, looking down on Nice Girl. We can see the kicker illuminating her from the side, but she has no fill. Our eye is drawn to her first. She looks sad, or maybe weak.

The Mean Girl posse taunts her at a high angle. They are given more light and detail than in the wide shot, which is coming from above. Although the room is dark, we can see their faces and bodies well enough. Slightly canted angle, accentuated by the off-kilter horizontal lines of the couch and wall.

Back to Nice girl. She makes an excuse for staying home tonight.

Cutting out Mean Girl #1, we have a two-shot as the blonde Meanie calls Nice Girl a name. Again low angle, and also noticeably canted.

Enter Nurse Lady, chastising the mean girls. This shot is not from anyone's POV, but gives us a wide view as she enters. A green bowl is placed in the foreground and striking blue fluorescents are shown behind the new character. Also emphasizing the depth are all the lines on the wall and the back of the couch, which give us a sense of the size of the room, even though the camera angle is slanted.

Mean Girl posse reacts with a quip about Nice Girl. Again canted, similar lighting as previous three-shot.

Nurse Lady responds forcefully, but is nearly cut out of the frame by a Mean Girl's head. She has some nice side lighting as well, with plenty of shadows on her face, emphasizing its shape and contours.

Mean Girl #1 replies. Quite a low angle, still a little bit off, and not in a good part of the frame. Nothing here is quite right.

Nurse Lady has taken a seat. The saturation here has changed, as the fireplace is now almost an emerald green. Effectively creepy palette, including a lot of green hues, nostalgic yellow, and some deep brown.

Mean Girl posse makes their exit. Same angle as before.

Nice Girl highlights some unsettling words in her textbook. A more interesting shot thanks to the blurry hand in the foreground.

Back to her face in close up, with the camera positioned slightly above where she is looking. We can see her expression clearly. Right side of the frame balanced by the lamp. 

Nurse Lady lights up a cigarette in the wide shot. We can now clearly see the strange lighting colors coming from the stairwell. Personally, I think they evoke the fluorescents of torture films, which is fitting for this scenario.

Cut to a stylistic CU of the television program. Is that Walt Disney?

Wide shot from earlier; the room looks noticeably darker. Someone knocks on the window pane.

Nice Girl is startled; we see her from a MCU instead of a full CU. The background is very out of focus and seems far away.

The same affect on Nurse Lady, with no foreground and a big jump to a distant background. She now has hardly any light falling on her from the nearby lamp (compare to above).

Nice Girl looks over, turning her face into the light. Who is it?

Oh, it's just Mean Girl again, letting us know we are prudes. A rather uninteresting shot, but the glare on the window confirms that she is outside.

Nurse Lady yells something about catching an STD.

Mean Girl does not see the humor. She leaves in a huff. Nice girls are no fun!

Nice Girl mumbles a remark about said STD. She chuckles to herself in the same CU. We can identify with her- she is finding ways to deal with her bullies.

Nurse Lady cackles. STD's are too funny! Notice how suddenly she's in full lamp-light again. Nice Girl has a way of brightening things.

Nice Girl agrees. That was a pretty good joke.

Wide shot as someone knocks on the front door. Is it those darn Mean Girls again?

Nice Girl makes a motion to stand up. Even at a low angle, we can tell the camera is slanted compared to the room.

Nurse Lady warns her to ignore the knock. As she reaches her hand over, it bulges in the frame. Something is definitely strange here.

Nice Girl stand up in a very strange, low shot. Everything is off the horizontal line, and we see only the lower two-thirds of her body. Lamps in the background deepen the frame.

Nice Girl opens the door slowly, letting the light spill from outside onto her face.

A man turn slowly from the shadows. The light on his face is warm, but it leaves a lot of long shadows. The frame is balanced on the left by a lit column in the background.

He moves closer to the camera. See his forehead? It's all bloody! He could sure use some help from a Nice Girl and a Nurse Lady.

Nice Girl is uncertain. We see her in a close up because the decision she's making is emotional and important. To help the strange man or not?

But his voice is so kind. It's obvious he's injured. Besides, he can't help it that he has a creepy face and deep shadows under his eyes...

Even closer on Nice Girl as she helps Creepy Man. The lighting is soft, her eyes are sufficiently illuminated. The music swells. She is so kind to help him.

For some reason, through the blur of foreground artifacts, Creepy Man seems more sly than appreciative.

Rack focus from Nurse Lady to the old television set. Lots of blurred artifacts in the foreground, squeezing the television in.

Because she has changed seats, we are now beside Nurse Lady. It's almost OTS, but not quite. We have a nice field of view, and the bowl is in roughly the same part of the frame as before, very useful for re-watches. Somehow, the bowl has managed to turn from translucent green to opaque. But you didn't even notice, did you?

Creepy Man takes Nice Girls' cross necklace and examines it.

"You think Jesus is going to save you?" Nurse Lady is in the background, barely visible but watching with interest.

Nice girl replies, "Oh, I'm already saved." She is in an interesting position, leaning down into the frame as she bends over her new patient.

Nurse Lady smiles. It's true! We even go to church. She is lit much more pleasantly than before, and the camera is closer as we identify with her efforts at kindness.

Nice Girl is concerned. As we are reminded of their relative positions in the room, she says something unsettling...

"I can't find the source of the bleeding. There's no wound." She has a tiny bit more light on her face than before and she leans up.

Nurse Lady's face drops. Suddenly, she is concerned. Creepy Man nearly crowds her out of frame with his shadowy figure.

We see him very closely as he smiles. They have fallen for his trap.

Back to the wide shot. What will happen next? They are all within a few feet of each other.

Nurse lady looks over at Nice Girl. Are they about to die?

Yes, they probably are. Creepy Man reaches for the now-opaque bowl and bashes Nice Girl's head.

Back to the wide shot to show the action clearly. Can't the two innocent girls ever catch a break?

Nice Girl falls to the ground from a new angle, the camera facing the couch and practically on the ground. Everything is framed with normal lines, placing the action at the center.

Nurse Lady stand up quickly. 

Creepy Man threatens her. Interestingly, he is not shot from a low angle here.

Nurse Lady makes a run for it, around the back of the couch.

She doesn't make it very far, as Creepy Man jumps over it and blocks her way. Nice Girl is now large in the bottom of the frame, an unconscious heap.

Creepy Guy takes Nurse Lady down hard. Canted angle, good bit of light from the lamp.

He now stands alone in the frame.

Now he backs up and closes the sliding glass doors behind him. He chants, "Fatty Patty, Fatty Patty!" Have these two met before?

Cut to: Nice Girl's innocent face in some heavy contrast, low-key lighting.

And that's the end of the scene. But do you want to know what happens next? I'll give you a hint.

The end! Watch American Horror Story on FX!