Entry #16

March 25

Today we officially discussed our film noir films.  Below are my impressions of each film, including a self-evaluation, that are focused on the screenplays and writing since I was the writer of my group's film. This also includes Jeff's film, which was actually viewed in the class after this one, but I included it in this entry just for coherence. 

Natalia

My overall impression of the film is that it could have been much better. It started out well with a good monologue. It was very scant and blunt and was delivered well by Elliot. It set the mood very well. 

But it was the best part of the film. The rest was in a plateau lower than the opening 30 seconds. The setting for one seemed like someone's house, and the lighting did not have much contrast, it was just dim. 

The dialogue between the protagonist and the femme fatale wasn't really witty although the attempt and idea was there. The dialogue was dedicated to giving a background of the plot, but how could you solidify and establish the plot only through dialogue? It's a very difficult thing to do. I don't blame them for trying though. A film noir usually has a complex story line, and it's hard to squeeze it in a 5 minute production. But it felt cramped in and unsuccessfully established and developed, especially when trying to introduce his father's murder. We never find out who the femme fatale is, and will never know. The sense of moral ambiguity is unclear since the dialogue was too focused on the plot, and the banter fell flat.

Stratagem

It was hard to believe this was a film noir. There was an attempt to have quick, witty conversation but as soon as the lines

"I was under the impression you wanted me at 7:30. It's 7:20"

was heard, it just gave me a very bad impression on the dialogue. It seems like something comedic than something serious. The dialogue didn't get any better, neither did it get any worse.

The plot was so simple, too simple. I guess it could have worked, but the delivery was unsuccessful (staking out in a car, a plastic bag as the murder weapon, etc.). And the development of each character was non-existent. Each character was the same, even with the same intentions. 

There was also no effort in making high contrasting lights, and the music only added to the unintentional comedic effect the film exuded.

Pulse

Screenplay wise it was good. It was a romantic-centered piece with the protagonist having to choose between his girlfriend and a girl he was having an affair with. 

I think what this film did was that it relied on tricks and gimmicks. For example, when the femme fatale took off her underwear there was two separate shots that showed that. Sure it was edgy, especially for the classroom, but I felt it blatantly abused it, kind of like "we're the cool kids on the block" sort of thing. Though it did express the 'sinful' and 'temptation' aspects of the affair. But it could've been done perhaps more gracefully; with more style, and perhaps limit it to only one cut.

The first time I watched Pulse I didn't understand what happened in the end when the protagonist says to his girlfriend "don't wait up on me". I didn't understand it the second time, but it was just me. Apparently the protagonist was going to go with his secret lover. I thought it was just fine as an ending; it wasn't anything special, and it didn't really change my view on the film. Basically, I was affected the same amount when I didn't know the ending compared to after I found out what happened in the end. 

The dialogue was quite good though nothing special or memorable.

The tape recorder bit was, again, just fine. It was used in Michael Clayton, though I'm not sure if that was the inspiration. I didn't really like it in Michael Clayton, but I thought it was better used there. 

I think what made the script not as good as it should be was the presentation of it. I thought that the shot with Ella, or the protagonist's girlfriend, was so bright, colorful, and cheerful, that it disrupted the film's mood. I thought that either that shot should be cut out, or done in a darker tone, though the idea was there (contrast with his secret life). But why introduce a character for a 10 second shot? 

Also the lighting was too grainy and dark. There were some shadows but that was all. It was just dark most of the time.

Plunge

The screenplay, I felt, was more of a novel than a screenplay. Only people would pay attention and listen attentively to the dialogue can appreciate it and understand it fully. The thing is, there's a lot of long paragraphs and speeches from each character. The content was good but slowed the pace down dramatically. Also, there wasn't much action or anything a novel can't describe as well. 

The main criticism was that the film could have been a lot tighter; that it felt as if it was part of something larger. Apparently it was; it as an adaptation of a feature length film screenplay Jeff was working as a side project. The idea was great, then just wasn't adapted elegantly. But overall it was a good screenplay. 

The Broken Beautiful (self-evaluation)

I didn't receive much criticism for the screenplay. I was glad that some people gathered that it was inspired by Sin City and Moulin Rouge, which were the actual inspirations I used while writing the script; falling in love with a prostitute, and how futile it was. 

It was good because the story of this dark romance was intriguing. The pace was fast (or at least in check), and the dialogue was tight and interesting. Of course it could have been better, perhaps better dialogue, better lines, etc. Overall though I was pleased with it. 

I have to give a lot of credit to my group members, Bernice, Medora and Andy for putting a lot of effort in to understanding my screenplay and figuring out the best way to display it on screen, which they did very successfully. 

I was an IB learner: 

Communicator: Communicated my opinions and shared it with the rest of the class

Open-minded: Open to the comments toward my film as well as other interpretations of the other films. 

Entry #15

March 23

Today we discussed the script and Joyce's vision, as well as plan filming days. I read the script more thoroughly than last time. It's a bit confusing but after Joyce's explanation it became clearer. 

I can't really do much with the sound right now except predict or guess what the sounds or music will be. I'm sticking with the Chaplin theme but it may change as anything can happen. Today's session was more focused on the visuals and the staging of the film. 

There were a few modifications to the script. For one, instead of the Student going through the Teacher's legs to reach the door, the Student will push the teacher through the door so that both of them will go through the portal and teleport. 

That was essentially the only modification we came up today.

As for filming dates, we'll probably going to film this weekend (for all of the outer school locations) and probably Monday and Wednesday next week for all of the inner school scenes. Next class we will rehearse all of the inner school scenes.  

Entry #14

March 18

Bugs Bunny

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM5Gwzk3Vfc

Charlie Chaplin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxCuXGCR8TE

The two videos above are the best examples when music is most effective. They coincide with the actions of the actors and produce a very comedic, funny effect. It is one of Bugs Bunny's trademarks as well as Charlie Chaplin's; utilizing music to for the best comedic effect.

How am I going to incorporate it into a chase scene, I have no idea. How am I going to compose something like that, I have no idea. I have some experience in music, and with garageband. I spent two semesters in Computer Music in Year 9, where I learned how to use Garageband as well as Logic Pro. But that was a long time ago.

Today I re-familiarized myself with Garageband. I read the script Joyce wrote and it seems good, at least for a Chase Scene. She's very organized with the script, naming all the characters as well as the places. We need to go scouting soon. 

While Elliot, Joyce and Justin were discussing the script, I was playing around with Garageband and see what I can do. For the first few minutes I was just playing around. I developed one quite catchy melody but I'm afraid that it would become more annoying that memorable. I then made another melody in case for an intimidating scene, perhaps when the Teacher spots the student. I made two of them; one for that exact moment, and one for the ensuing chase.

Not really confident in the pieces I made, I played around with the native loops of Garageband. I combined two loops and made a rock instrumental. I showed it to the rest of my group and they said I should continue working on the catchy melodies rather than turning the music into a rock theme.

I then created a melody that's very happy and light-hearted. It's incredibly happy. It'll be great for the scene with Daniel yelling at the student in Cantonese (contrast). 

The reality is though I can't really create the most appropriate music for the film until after filming and I can get a sense, and know when and what music to provide. What I did today in class was familiarize myself with music software, and create potential pieces for the film. I will continue watching Chaplin and Bugs. Even after this project of course.

I was an IB Learner:

Communicator: Talked with group mates about music pieces.

Thinkers: Thought on how to maximize the use of music and sounds into a Chase scene.

RIsk-Taker: Not the most experienced, best person in composing songs, but still am trying to compose original music.

Reflective: Concerned about the potential annoyance some melodies might cause. 

Film Noir Evaluation

March 18 

1) How your idea came about and your contribution to this, in terms of Screenwriting.

 

            The idea for this film noir project was influenced by many stories and movies. First here is a summary of the story. The protagonist, Man, is walking on the streets until he meets a Woman. They converse and he learns that she is a prostitute. They talk about the morality, and whether a drunkard is higher than a prostitute, or visa versa. The Man then expresses love for the prostitute, but she dismisses it as something conjured up by alcohol. The Man then tells the prostitute that he had a previous experience with one. He says that the woman he slept with was named Daisies. The Woman pulls a gun and aims it towards him. Apparently Daises’ name was Jennifer, and she was her sister, which the Man murdered. The Man, knowing that he is going to die, simply tells the Woman that he did love her and because of his own flaw of getting drunk, killed her sister. The Woman ignores any sympathy. She kills him. The final shot, the Man is lying, dying. But his final sight is his love, Daisies, lying next to him, as dead as he is.

            Within the script I also used flashbacks to give the storyline more depth without disrupting the flow and coherence of the film. It also makes the film extend to something other than what is currently happening; another dimension if you will.

            The title of the film was based on a line written in the middle of the script. For a while it was untitled. It was only after I finished writing it did I come up with the title.

            The two main inspirations were Moulin Rouge and Sin City. Moulin Rouge gave me the idea of falling in love with a prostitute, and how dark, yet romantic it could be. Sin City gave me the idea for the ending. The story, “the Hard Goodbye” with Marv and Goldie ends with both of them lying dead together in the same bed, in this case, it was the Man and Daisies. Goldie is, coincidentally, a prostitute, and Marv does fall in love with her. Those two films gave me the idea for the story.

            There were other influences that helped me write lines. Songs by Radiohead helped me. “Paranoid Android”, with the lines “Rain down/Rain down/ Come on rain down on me/From a great height/From a great height” gave me the lines “I felt rain coming down on my face but everything was clear” in the script. It is used as an omen for what is coming next; his death. The song “Reckoner” also by Radiohead helped me. The song is about destiny and how unfortunate but inevitable it can be. The lines “Reckoner/Dare not speak its name/Dedicated to all human beings” helped me develop the fate of these three characters, as if death and murder is inevitable. Also, its haunting melody helped me create the atmosphere of the script.  

            I wanted to use Nancy Sinatra’s song “Bang, Bang” but because of copyright, could not use it. I tried incorporating music into the script by using the line  “I hear a guitar weeping”, but we could not use the song and so I changed it to “I hear her (Daisies) weeping”.

            I also took advice from Quentin Tarintino. In an interview, he says that in watching a movie, if he does not understand what is going on, he immediately stops watching, because what is the point of watching something you do not understand, and, it would be impossible to appreciate it. It told me to keep the story clear, elegant, and coherent, especially for a short film.

My group members also did not like the line “Tease”. The Woman says it. It’s a response to the Man’s line “Ten thousand dollars for one night, you’re right, I can’t afford it.” So I removed it.

            Aside from that the script was convenient in the sense that it allowed our cameraperson envision each scene clearly. The atmosphere of the script allows the cameraperson to create the frame perfect for each line. Also, the plot is very organized, which facilitate the Editor’s job.

            Again with the atmosphere, it facilitates the Sound Director’s job to find songs that fit the mood, as well as allow creativity; using sound as dramatic devices such as reverberating footsteps as the Woman leaves the scene.

            This was how my idea was conceived and how it contributed to the project.

 

2) How did you plan as a group and your contribution to pre-production?

           

            We planned what to film first and what to film last. We decided to film the meeting between the Man and the Woman first, the Flashbacks next, then the Walking Scenes last. The conversation was the main bulk of the script. The Flashbacks were shorter, but still important. It had an interior setting, which was the main reason why we chose to film it on a separate day. The walking scenes were filmed on a separately day because we also though it would be ideal to film any reshoot since we were out filming. We were confident that we would not make a mistake because walking scenes were simple to do.

            During classes I worked with Andy and Medora – the actors – to develop their character. I felt that even though acting was not the priority, bad acting could distract the audience from the point of the movie as well as the cinematic elements to it. I did everything I could for Andy and Medora understand their character, and develop their own nuances and subtleties so that it would seem natural on screen.

            The advice I gave them were sometimes specific, at other times ambiguous. The intent is to have them create the character on their own perception; my job was just to nurture that perception. At times, when they were rehearsing their lines, I would say “darker”, “sadder”, etc., ambiguous lines like that because I did not want them to think to much and confuse them. I also did not want to say the lines because I did not want them to do an imitation of me. Other times, I would give them a whole background of the character, but again, not going into the habit and tell them how I would do it. This again led to naturalistic performances.

            I followed the advice of

3) What was your contribution during the actual production stage?

 

            During filming, I was basically the consultant and co-director with the Cameraperson. If the actor had trouble knowing a line, I would tell them since I know the script inside out. Also sometimes the Cameraperson would not understand the point of the scene, so I would explain what the mood should be and what the frame should express, which is usually the character’s mentality. And because while writing it I had a vision of what each scene looked like, I also would be the safety net. The Cameraperson would tell me a potential idea and I would explain why it would or would not work. And if the Cameraperson were having trouble developing the shot, I would be of assistance. In short, I would be the safety net and the problem solver of the group.

 

4) How did you work as a group I the post-production? What was your contribution to this?

 

            During post-production, I was mainly helping the Editor. I would tell him the shots that need to be used to coincide with the script, and the shots that are unnecessary. Similar to the production stage, I was the safety net, but instead of the Cameraperson, it was for the Editor. If the Editor missed something or cut something out by accident, I would usually be the first person to notice. I was there to ensure that the plot was expressed. Also, the Editor dealt with the color of the film. I had to make sure that he did not mitigate any atmosphere or did not express the character’s emotions effectively.

            Similar with the Sound Director, I was there to make sure that the songs and sound effects were appropriate. There were two sounds we had trouble with; a gunshot and the Flashback effect. The gunshots we found seemed too fake, and eventually had to edit it ourselves by decreasing the reverberation and making it higher pitched as well as a shorter length. For the Flashback sound, it was a ‘whoosh’, and each sound we found seemed too fake as well. Eventually we found an appropriate one, but decreased the volume so that it was not too obvious.

            In short, I was the safety net, making sure that the ideas by each group member would benefit the film without ruining its substance and meaning the script provides.

5) Evaluation of the final product. How successful were you in achieving your goal? How did you perform your designated role? How did you work together as group? What feedback did you receive as a group and as an individual? How can you improve, both as a group and as an individual?

 

            The final product was successful. It was coherent, effective in expressing the character’s emotions, and expressed the themes of the moral dilemma of loving a prostitute effectively. The film received praise from our peers and teacher so we knew that it turned out well, with the quote from Ms Wong “it set the bar high”.

            In terms of my role, I thought I performed well. The class immediately after the class we began, I already wrote a draft, which, aside from a few cut lines, was the one we used. My group all thought that the script was great and very film noir-esque. The script allowed imagination flow through my group mates, which made their jobs easier. It also provided tasks for each role, so that no one would be left out and everyone would have something to do.

            Some people outside my group read my script and had no complaints. They understood the plot and agreed it exemplified the film noir style.

            I did not receive any criticisms with the script and I have asked people. Although the script may not need any improvements, I may need to improve as a screenwriter. Perhaps I can write an even better one with a different, better, more developed story without having to rely on flashbacks, as well as wittier dialogue with more memorable lines. 

            As a group, we could have been more efficient during the production stages. For each filming session we took literally hours. We ended up tired and exhausted, but still determined to finish what we planned to finish, even though it went into overtime. We should have been more realistic in planning out our time and schedule. But our commitment to the project is what made our final product what it is; the Broken Beautiful.

Entry #13

March 16

Today we just went straight to our next unit. We will discuss the film noir project next class.

Our next project is creating a short film inspired by Twilight Zone. It is a chase scene. 

My group members are Justin, Joyce and Elliot.

Justin: Editor

Joyce: Writer

Elliot: Cameraperson

Me: Sound Director.

We ended up using my idea of a teacher chasing a student who has a device that allows him to transport wherever he wants to, but in the midst of chasing, the device malfunctions and either takes him places he doesn't want to be or only places a few meters away from his original destination. It will be difficult but effective if done properly.

I want it to be something like a Charlie Chaplin film, though more high-tec. I want the atmosphere of it. Also, I want to use the old school text, though it may not work. It depends what script Joyce produced.

We came up with a lot of potential scenes, like the student ending up in a bedroom where two lovers are making out. And the student ending up in family dinner with the father yelling at him. And a Scooby Doo-like scenario, where one person enters a room but exits another. There will probably be a fugitive-like scene where the student is on the ledge of a cliff with the teacher cornering him. And then he jumps but teleports in mid air. 

As sound director I will probably think of a theme song to compose. I'll probably do something light hearted and catchy, like a Super Mario game. I'll probably use Garageband since I'm most familiar with that software. 

I was an IB learner:

Caring: Showed empathy, compassion, and respect towards the needs and feelings of others.

Open-minded: Listened to my peer's ideas.

Communicator: Expressed own ideas.

Entry #12

March 11

Today is screening day.

We didn't do much editing, just included the credits. 

Andy adjusted the saturation but left a tinge of color to create the film noir effect but without abusing it. Adding some color is, we find, more effective, especially with the audience we are dealing with. But that was how he achieved the effect shown in our film.

He also managed to imitate Sin City's style, which uses red as the sole color. It involves isolating the color from the rest, and therefore desaturating other colors while leaving the red there.

He managed to finish all of the editing.

For music we used Kevin Mcleod pieces. Our beginning theme is called 'Turn for the Worse". In the middle we used another song by him; a delicate piano. It worked for our film uncannily well. 

For the ending went ahead and used Christie's vocals. Medora also included a guitar introduction so that Andy's death is more dramatic. 

Our film was screen first and these were my thoughts on it:

-it wasn't like how it was on Quicktime with our computer. I thought that the one that was screened was missing some bits, and made the ending too rushed, and missed out on the final line which has Andy saying "Daisies". I was a bit disappointed with that. 

-it was 7 minutes, but felt like 2 minutes. That's a good sign.

-Music helped us greatly

-captivating visuals coincided with the dialogue greatly

-fast paced but without skipping any background information. Simple, allowed the audience to understand it.

Our film had a good reception, Ms Wong saying that ours set the bar high. I was greatly relieved that people enjoyed our film, and was well received. 

Here are my thoughts on the other films in terms of the screenplay (since it relates to my roll):

Elliot's group:

-Clever, succinct dialogue. The first person voice over was effective. The sexuality element was, I felt, abused, especially when Elliot ran his hand across Ashley's bare leg. Also, I didn't buy that the gestures Ashley did was sensual. I also thought that the story of the death of Elliot's dad was very underdeveloped. And we never know how Ashley knows about it so well. It's a scene of something much larger instead of a short film. Story line should have been tighter.

Adrian's group:

Liked the introduction, using the First Person narration effectively. Liked the simplicity of the story: Femme fatale vs Protagonist and Girlfriend. The dialogue was great; clever, witty, and effective. The phone bit was the best, where the sounds of the ringing was intimidating (his girlfriend calling). But what happened in the end? No conclusion, or at least one the audience can understand. I asked Andy what happened, but he also does not know. 

I also felt that the screenplay used so many ideas but did not consider the difficulty in putting so many ideas on screen. It should have been tighter, more focused and would have been elegantly portrayed. It could have been a much better film.

Joyce's group:

Dialogue is cumbersome, i.e. "I was under the impression you wanted me to be here at 7:30. It's 7:20." Is that supposed to be witty? It sure was memorable. 

The story line is overly simple; guy and femme fatale teaming up against girlfriend. Nothing really happens in the plot. The guy and femme fatale meets up and kills the girlfriend, though before, the girlfriend was supposed to team up with the femme fatale and kill the guy. One or two events occurred.

No character uniqueness at all. Each character was the same; same expression, same intent, same dialogue, same everything. 

The waiting scene was unnecessary and definitely not film noir, more of a comedy.

Using a plastic bag to kill someone? A plastic bag from a supermarket? Really?

The plot and dialogue should have been more sophisticated. The intent was there but was not successful.

Jeff's Group:

Very vivid in expressing the theme of moral ambiguity. Story line is simple and well executed. It was much more dialogue driven than plot. No femme fatale, but wasn't the point. There was the 'home' girlfriend, but is overshadowed by the frustration of the protagonist. Even though it sets up as something apocalyptic (I think it was something unnecessary, because it does seem like part of something much larger instead of a short film), it seems more like a love story even though it doesn't include the girl at all. 

The immense and philosophical dialogue was great and did capture attention though at some points it did drag on. When Julien shot Chris (their characters), that was the best part, and was evident that it was the climax. I thought maybe it was too Quentin Tarintino with the dialogue. It seemed repetitive at points, but was still interesting nevertheless. 

It would have worked without the post-apocalyptic setting, though it did set the mood very well. 

I was an IB leaner:

Reflective: Gave thoughtful consideration to my own learning and experience. Reflected on each group's film as well as my own. 

Communicator: Expressed my opinions and queries to peers.

Entry #11

March 9

On Friday the reshots and filming were much smoother since we already knew what to do with the scene, and the walking scenes were very straightforward since it was only Andy walking. We use lights from cars that passed by since it created a cool, film noirish effect. 

We also played around with some scenes, like the church scene. It is a scene where Andy walks by a Church, looks at it, and it seems the Church is condemning him or judging him, but he doesn't care and continues walking. We probably won't end up using it because it disrupts the script and it's unnecessary.

We also used a bottle, where the car lights would go through it and create a somewhat kaleidoscopic effect. It's really cool, needless to say.

The final thing we shot was Medora stalking Andy. But what I was thinking, to make it more elegant, was that instead of showing Medora walking behind Andy, it is just different angles of Medora that portrays her looking, monitoring Andy as he walks. It is simple and effective if done properly, that may also express her inner pain. 

The final product is due Wednesday. 

*Side note

After school day, Andy continued to edit. After 90 minutes of solid editing, he tells me that he is nearly done. He not only has it all organized, but has most of it in the correct saturation. He is confident that he can meet the deadline, and just needs about 2 more hours of solid editing. I will be there tomorrow for the final major edits.

I was an IB learner: 

Inquirer: Developing natural curiosity. I explored and experimented with different film ideas and techniques to produce effective story telling.

Communicator: Expressed ideas.

Risk-takers: Experimentation of shots and angles.