- So we need to get started with this thing, any more ideas? And when are you free to do some shooting or practice stuff?
- SundayRobin Russell Booker
- ?/?
- YesterdayRobin Russell Booker
- mate really need to get sorted soon as, when you free?
- YesterdayJake Hanson
- I can come in Wednesday. Early on if you want?
You got your ideas set in stone?
- 23 hours agoRobin Russell Booker
- I cant do wednesday I have a lesson before yours. Maybe late on wednesday
- I have done a practice shoot for an idea for part of it. We need to come up with a few different visual motifs to use throughout the film. Don said its a good idea to set ourselves some rules and stick to them to keep our piece consistent so we should try and do that as well
- 3 hours agoRobin Russell Booker
- oh i just remembered we also have to decide who is the... producer, director, editor, cameraman, sound recordist and sound editor
Exp Update
So its the 31st of january and still no rely from Jake or Johnny (who is abroad). Hopefully the two visual ideas for the boxes can be used, I am still thinking of ideas and developing them, should be posting them soon. Anyway this is our groups conversation so far. (after the last posts conversation)
My days work today... so far
So I have still had no reply from Jake about what he thinks we should do or about my idea and when he is free so I am left to creatively explore by myself. I have been thinking the idea of the camera travelling into objects might be quite nice, or even the camera travelling in boxes so we see the outside world (whatever kind of world we want it to be) but through the holes in a box. Hopefully I will later be able to use a camera and explore this idea. If so I will post about it soon!
Today for my other project I have also been looking at composographs, specifically the ones created by Andrew Quinn titled "Untitled #". Of the ones I have seen (2,4,6,8,9) I have liked them all, however my least favourites were #9 and #4. I liked #9 less because of its lack of rhythm, whilst the noise of the glasses is unique and interesting the lack of rhythm means there is no rise or crescendo throughout the piece whereas on #2 for example the pace quickens and quickens and the hand in the image multiplies over and over making it more and more interesting. In #4 there is this rise and fall however the use of recognisable music takes some of the originality out of the piece and changes its use, #4 is more an interesting way to show someone playing a song rather than a composmograph.
Today for my other project I have also been looking at composographs, specifically the ones created by Andrew Quinn titled "Untitled #". Of the ones I have seen (2,4,6,8,9) I have liked them all, however my least favourites were #9 and #4. I liked #9 less because of its lack of rhythm, whilst the noise of the glasses is unique and interesting the lack of rhythm means there is no rise or crescendo throughout the piece whereas on #2 for example the pace quickens and quickens and the hand in the image multiplies over and over making it more and more interesting. In #4 there is this rise and fall however the use of recognisable music takes some of the originality out of the piece and changes its use, #4 is more an interesting way to show someone playing a song rather than a composmograph.
Idea for Experimental short
We are currently talking about using boxes as inspiration this is one of my ideas
It starts with a wall of boxes, some red some back, most of the red ones turn black.
The red ones continue to turn black
It then zooms or tracks in to a single box
The single box opens and is coloured differently inside. It also has another box in it.
This is just a concept but I like the travelling inside a box idea and seeing box's within box's.
CMPP Experimental lesson
In today's lesson we analysed some experimental films, here are some of my ideas about them.
Star Guitar The Chemical Brothers
-Sound synchronised with image -Train/ industrial - Still cam with moving landscape -Repeated sections of the landscape make you question what is real and what is a repeat. -Music video
An Optical Poem
-Birth of the music video -Shapes change when instruments change -Patterns literally represent what is happening in the music
Meshes in the Afternoon (Maya Deren)
-Strong continuity editing -some narrative structure -Dreamlike -plays with reality -split personality/ self perception
Om (John Smith)
-Plays with audience preconceptions -strong reliance on audience -conical
Fisticuffs
-Comical -Abstract start -Dance like/ choreographed -western style violence in British setting
There are some other Experimental films I have seen in the past years and here is a few simple notes on them:
La Jetee (Chris Marker)
-Experimental form not narrative -Conventional scifi narrative Cine Roman
Un Chien Andalou (Bunel, Dali)
-Completely abstract in meaning and production -No idea that made coherent sense would be accepted.
Strike! (Eisenstein)
-Associational -Constructivist -Machine Aesthetic -Editing emphasised -propaganda -mass hero rather than single
Valerie and her Week of Wonders
-Dream like -Actors play multiple characters without hiding that they are the same person -Questionable subject matter (for the age of Valerie)
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (Robert Weine)
-Uses expressionistic sets -Influenced by art -The viewer sees through the eyes of a mad person -Plays with reality
Star Guitar The Chemical Brothers
-Sound synchronised with image -Train/ industrial - Still cam with moving landscape -Repeated sections of the landscape make you question what is real and what is a repeat. -Music video
An Optical Poem
-Birth of the music video -Shapes change when instruments change -Patterns literally represent what is happening in the music
Meshes in the Afternoon (Maya Deren)
-Strong continuity editing -some narrative structure -Dreamlike -plays with reality -split personality/ self perception
Om (John Smith)
-Plays with audience preconceptions -strong reliance on audience -conical
Fisticuffs
-Comical -Abstract start -Dance like/ choreographed -western style violence in British setting
There are some other Experimental films I have seen in the past years and here is a few simple notes on them:
La Jetee (Chris Marker)
-Experimental form not narrative -Conventional scifi narrative Cine Roman
Un Chien Andalou (Bunel, Dali)
-Completely abstract in meaning and production -No idea that made coherent sense would be accepted.
Strike! (Eisenstein)
-Associational -Constructivist -Machine Aesthetic -Editing emphasised -propaganda -mass hero rather than single
Valerie and her Week of Wonders
-Dream like -Actors play multiple characters without hiding that they are the same person -Questionable subject matter (for the age of Valerie)
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (Robert Weine)
-Uses expressionistic sets -Influenced by art -The viewer sees through the eyes of a mad person -Plays with reality
Le Ballet Mechanique (dir ledger, murphey)
So I haven't researched this film properly yet, I wanted to give my first honest impressions without any outside influence. I did however read that it is of Abstract form and as I was reading a document about that, (it uses this film as an example of abstract) I expected to be able to recognise the form and the patterns. However it left me like most experimental cinema, quite confused. I really searched for some sort of meaning however I have decided as it is abstract it does not necessarily need meaning and can just be "art for life's sake". So to split it into its visual motifs and its various sections. The first section seemed to centre around swinging things, anything that moved forward and back or that repetitively moved in a similar way. Most of these images were reflected off mirrors to show them distorted multiple times. The second section focused more on machinery which had fluid moving parts, this makes sense of the title as they were relatively rhythmic. The third part seemed to revolve around numbers and a statement that I could not understand (it was in French) along with reoccurring images from the previous section. If I had to think of any item I may look at differently in relation to the "art for life's sake" principle, I would say the baubles or the saucepans, not sure why but they were both taken out of their usual context and when you relate them with the other objects with similar motions they seem much less of an xmas decoration, however it seems like that might be slipping over to associational stuff. I am going to read the handout about Le Ballet Mechanique tomorrow and I will update this with a more informed review then.
Experimental beginnings. (CMPP 3)
So today I re read and made notes on the worksheets about experimental film for our next project. I have some previous experience with experimental from my first CMPP and from my A level so I was interested in what the higher level would be. After reading through the introduction which went over basic principles I was already aware of such as personal works and anti main stream works the article was split in two, Associational experimental and Abstract experimental. These were explained well and this is a summary of the two:
Abstract
1. Like a song it uses a strong motif that changes over and over, the changes often become more drastic until the original is unrecognisable. The changes should have an underlying principle.
2. Focuses on sheer pictorial qualities
3. Real object can be used and freed from their everyday context to be viewed in aesthetic ways.
4. Makes us see object in new ways "art for life's sake"
Associational
1. Like Eisenstein's associational montage, it uses images with emotional connotations to give meanings to images with less or no emotional effect. Eg a pancake looks evil when you "associate" it with Nazi's by cutting between them (or it makes Nazi's silly depending on which connotation is stronger).
2. Uses imagery in a similar way to poetry.
3. Structurally sets of images are grouped and contrast each other and parts are repeated for emphasis.
4. Invites the audience to engage with it and is strongly reliant on their active participation.
I think these are the key points about both types, I am yet to read the examples but am about to sit down and watch both of the films A movie dir. Bruce Conner and Ballet Mecaniqu. I will then review them, read the worksheet about them and then review them again. In the mean time this is the first conversation for our Experimental stuff:
Abstract
1. Like a song it uses a strong motif that changes over and over, the changes often become more drastic until the original is unrecognisable. The changes should have an underlying principle.
2. Focuses on sheer pictorial qualities
3. Real object can be used and freed from their everyday context to be viewed in aesthetic ways.
4. Makes us see object in new ways "art for life's sake"
Associational
1. Like Eisenstein's associational montage, it uses images with emotional connotations to give meanings to images with less or no emotional effect. Eg a pancake looks evil when you "associate" it with Nazi's by cutting between them (or it makes Nazi's silly depending on which connotation is stronger).
2. Uses imagery in a similar way to poetry.
3. Structurally sets of images are grouped and contrast each other and parts are repeated for emphasis.
4. Invites the audience to engage with it and is strongly reliant on their active participation.
I think these are the key points about both types, I am yet to read the examples but am about to sit down and watch both of the films A movie dir. Bruce Conner and Ballet Mecaniqu. I will then review them, read the worksheet about them and then review them again. In the mean time this is the first conversation for our Experimental stuff:
- S'up fellas, ive been looking through the brief and re reading that experimental booklet and it looks like we have loads to do in not alot of time. The brief says it should be based around an object, word or poem. I think we will get enough to work from if we use an object or word, if we use a poem we might end up with too much to do weakening any points we make. So if you guys agree, what object or word do you think we should use?
- A box
- could be interesting
- i think i would be happy to explore what we could do with a box. If we view it partially as a thing itself aswell as a container for other things i think we could get some nice visuals and metaphors and things
- Also whilst looking at the brief it outlines Non linear,
- Personal view, pure abstraction and Structural.
- I think ours should be non linear and abstract. We cant really do personal because we are a group and i would like too have mmore freedom than the structural one offers.
- So what is it that were doing?
- maybe something based on a box that is abstract and non linear
- Yeah, I'm just thinking though five minutes on a box.
- well i was just thinking about things to do with it. we could bake a larger cube out of multiple boxes and alter colour and things aswell as show boxes as both just boxes to hold things rather than be aesthetic objects
- I think we will need some other underlying theme and subtext to go with it. Then we can use colour and camera movement around something like a box to give it meaning and create a motif that we can develop through the piece.
- However that is if we concentrate on abstract form, we could do an associational form instead
- You seem to know a lot more about it than me man, I won't lie and you seem to have it nailed so im happy with doing this!
- 9 hours agoRobin Russell Booker
- ok cool well its just that ive just been reading it through lol, so what kind of message or theme do you think we should use, I think colour will be important
- 9 hours agoJake Hanson
- I need to have a re-read of the brief. You seem to have this nailed though man.
- should we meet up at uni tomorrow before the seminar to discuss some bits?
- Well Jonny isn't here but we cna.
- also afterwards would be better for me, we can grab something to eat and discuss it if you wish
- yeah that will work
50/50 by Jonathan Levine
Weather inspired by a true story or not 50/50 is a fairly easy to watch bromance about a man dying of cancer. You would expect cancer to suck all of the comedy out of this kind of film but it has surprisingly funny elements to it such as weed smoking old cancer sufferers. It does still travel to some dark places but these are carried of well by a good performance from Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Seth Rogen plays is usual character and adds some funny moments to the film but it is Levitt who shines throughout. Again this is an easy to watch bromantic comedy, well enough written and acted, a good film to watch but with little real meaning behind it... not that that is necessarily needed from a Hollywood comedy about cancer.
I enjoyed it, maybe its a guilty pleasure as it has no particular brilliant qualities but oh well, it was good, end of.
I enjoyed it, maybe its a guilty pleasure as it has no particular brilliant qualities but oh well, it was good, end of.
Sherlock (BBC)
I have recently watched all three parts of the recent BBC series Sherlock which I thoroughly enjoyed, it was witty, well written, mysterious and engaging. Some of the camerawork was very interesting and the use of text to show what Sherlock is thinking was used really well. Its a shame the last episode had a similar plot to the movie as it made the end a little predictable. However all three episodes were good its just a shame there was so little of it, I would recommend it to anyone who fancies some good fun crime drama.
309 Sound preview completed.
I was quite happy with this overall however I accidentally repeated one of the Drones tracks and I think some of the volume mix is a little off. Despite that I like the balance of music and atmosphere that was what made the night and the preview.
Crazy Heart by Scott Cooper
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1263670/
I'm not a fan of country music but I am a fan of Jeff Bridges so I decided to buy and watch Crazy Heart. I was really pleased with what I saw. It is predictable and fairly generic for a music based romantic dramas, it is reminiscent of Walk the Line (dir. James Mangold) which is almost the same plot shown in a different way. However Johnny Cash is shown as a man on his way up whereas Bad Blake is a man who never became the star he wanted to be and is struggling with the success of his protégée. The music was consistent and good throughout and was well preformed by Bridges who was playing a character familiar to Bridges fans as a musical cross between "The Dude" in The Big Lebowski (dir. Coen brothers) and Rooster Cogburn in True Grit (dir. Coen Brothers). What came out of the film was a redemption story of a man past his prime who didn't quite get the girl, which takes a little bit of the cheeseyness away in a similar way to Once (dir John Carney).
I'm not a fan of country music but I am a fan of Jeff Bridges so I decided to buy and watch Crazy Heart. I was really pleased with what I saw. It is predictable and fairly generic for a music based romantic dramas, it is reminiscent of Walk the Line (dir. James Mangold) which is almost the same plot shown in a different way. However Johnny Cash is shown as a man on his way up whereas Bad Blake is a man who never became the star he wanted to be and is struggling with the success of his protégée. The music was consistent and good throughout and was well preformed by Bridges who was playing a character familiar to Bridges fans as a musical cross between "The Dude" in The Big Lebowski (dir. Coen brothers) and Rooster Cogburn in True Grit (dir. Coen Brothers). What came out of the film was a redemption story of a man past his prime who didn't quite get the girl, which takes a little bit of the cheeseyness away in a similar way to Once (dir John Carney).
In conclusion the film showed the talents of both Bridges and Maggie Gylenhaall through a heart warming but not sickening music based romantic drama, overall a nice film with some good music.
Sherlock Holmes A game of Shadows by Guy Ritchie
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1515091/
I saw Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows at the cinema a few days ago, I enjoyed the first on and was looking forward to it. Whilst I was not disappointed by the films witty dialogue, good acting and coherence in relation to the first film I do have some criticisms. I enjoyed the film but.... Firstly the plot was fairly loose, it seemed as though the film hinged on Moriarty and Sherlock's rivalry, this is something I was looking forward to seeing but I dont think it is a substitute for a plot. I think it was a shame Irene Adler was dispatched of within the first five minutes as the introduction of the gypsy Simza Heron, a fairly pointless character who had little characterisation and served really as only a plot device, could have been replaced with Irene's character who all ready had an interesting relationship with Sherlock which was worth further exploration. I thought the attempt to up scale the action of first film by setting it all over Europe weakened the plot and removed the "britishness" that the first one gained with the inclusion of the tower bridge and the houses of parliament. I think the inclusion of more guns and more explosions was not needed, I don't think that anyone left the cinema after the first film saying "there should be more explosions" but whilst I was at the cinema I overheard a comment "that was boring, I couldn't stay awake". Still it did well at the box office and I would be surprised if there is no sequel that I would guess will focus on Sherlock's drink and drug abuse a little more as this one only hinted at his abuse getting more debilitating not that it would be resolved.
Despite these problems with the film I did enjoy it thanks to the comic relationship between Sherlock and Watson, my favourite part of the whole film was the combat planning Sherlock does often being reversed by Moriarty and Moriarty winning the planned fight forcing Sherlock to do something unexpected. The film was good but personally I do prefer the first film.
I saw Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows at the cinema a few days ago, I enjoyed the first on and was looking forward to it. Whilst I was not disappointed by the films witty dialogue, good acting and coherence in relation to the first film I do have some criticisms. I enjoyed the film but.... Firstly the plot was fairly loose, it seemed as though the film hinged on Moriarty and Sherlock's rivalry, this is something I was looking forward to seeing but I dont think it is a substitute for a plot. I think it was a shame Irene Adler was dispatched of within the first five minutes as the introduction of the gypsy Simza Heron, a fairly pointless character who had little characterisation and served really as only a plot device, could have been replaced with Irene's character who all ready had an interesting relationship with Sherlock which was worth further exploration. I thought the attempt to up scale the action of first film by setting it all over Europe weakened the plot and removed the "britishness" that the first one gained with the inclusion of the tower bridge and the houses of parliament. I think the inclusion of more guns and more explosions was not needed, I don't think that anyone left the cinema after the first film saying "there should be more explosions" but whilst I was at the cinema I overheard a comment "that was boring, I couldn't stay awake". Still it did well at the box office and I would be surprised if there is no sequel that I would guess will focus on Sherlock's drink and drug abuse a little more as this one only hinted at his abuse getting more debilitating not that it would be resolved.
Despite these problems with the film I did enjoy it thanks to the comic relationship between Sherlock and Watson, my favourite part of the whole film was the combat planning Sherlock does often being reversed by Moriarty and Moriarty winning the planned fight forcing Sherlock to do something unexpected. The film was good but personally I do prefer the first film.
Ooops
So its been over a month since I posted anything new and now that I have some spare time off I thought iy was time to review some bits soooo here come the post!!!!!!
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