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.