In our first group meeting we talked back and forth about ideas for the 'story' of our set design. We finally ended up on basing it on Chris' initial proposal, a train about to hit a living room. The back story to this was about a boy who lives/stays in some sort of drug den-esque accommodation, rarely sees daylight and spends most of his days adding to the pile of rubbish gathering around his feet. This was the synopsis for our idea...
On an average night, strange things happen when you are intoxicated. Swirls of cloudy smoke particles are gathered around the room. A young blonde guy sits in his dull themed armchair in the centre. In front is a small flat TV screen, a brown shelf and a window with floral burnt curtains. The room is cluttered with rubbish across the floor and the walls are covered in posters. The walls are also dirty and stained. Suddenly the TV flicks onto static. Then blonde guy is looking confused and very intoxicated to why this may be. He searches around him for the remote control and turns the TV off. The TV flicks on again, this time a train appears on screen. As the train draws closer and closer towards the TV, the same TV image is portrayed in his window. He looks puzzled to why this may be and switches off the TV. Again, the TV flicks on and the train is on the TV as while as in his window, it draws closer and closer. He attempts really hard to turn the TV off by constantly pushing the off switch on the remote in a rapid manner. The walls start to vibrate from a steady pace and increases rapidly. The lights start to flicker as the train comes even closer. The curtains blow and smoke particles swirl around the room. Leaves and litter fly across the floor and we see the blonde guy confused and scared within the centre of the room on his armchair. He covers himself with his arms and tucks his head into his legs as resort of what feels like his only protection; giving up from turning the TV off. The pace at which the wind, vibration and lights flicker increases as the train is now near the window as if it will go through the walls. Fade to black.
As this was agreed within the group we started work on the production. As directed on the brief we produced a mood board to help visually realise our concept.
From the outset we knew that we needed to acquire certain props. We needed a television set (not necessarily working), a large lounge chair and a window. These things were vital, everything else was about set dressing.
After a few weeks of trying to find a chair that was suitable AND within out £25 budget things were not looking hopeful. We had a chat with Susannah, our tutor, about our problem. She suggested that we make one. With some help from her we managed to pull off the look we were going for.
I think I personally brought a lot to the group. In regards to the production I really wanted to get stuck in to the practical side of the project as I feel this is where my skills are pushed to their best. In particular I enjoyed painting the wallpapered walls by washing them with a coffee/glue/water mixture. I wanted to make parts of the wall look ‘damp’. I also added some detailing by adding ‘cracks’ to certain parts of the wall and around the window.
In hind sight I wish I had done more on this. Only after looking at the set through the camera did I realise that less isn’t always more. If I could have done it again I would definitely have made more of this, painted it darker and done more coats of the coffee wash.
As a group I think we worked well and everyone was present throughout the whole project. I think I can say on behalf of the group that if we did this again we would have wanted to film it ourselves as we had a better idea of the overall look we were wanting to go for. Saying this, it was probably due to our time management that we didn't meet up with the 'filming group (cinematographers)' enough to really pass on our ideas successfully.
When it came to editing the footage I was kind of starting off blind. I had no idea how to use after effects at all. After one session with my tutor, Susannah, in introducing us to after effects I managed to get the main understanding of it. After that session I went home and found some 'youtube' tutorials to watch. The next session I sat with Dalena (from my group) as she started to edit in the green screen. I had found the royalty free footage online of the train and the static.
We used the linear colour key tool to effectivly apply the footage to the green screen. I had to read up on the tool to fully understand how it worked!
(Keying Effects. Available: http://helpx.adobe.com/en/after-effects/using/keying-effects.html#linear_color_key_effect. Last accessed 5th May 2014.)
This is a screen shot form a section on the ADOBE official website.
Reflecting on the green screen element of this project I think we achieved a quite convincing effect. In production when putting up the green screen behind the window, it took a long time to correctly light it. We had to make sure it had a flat light over the whole green cloth. This took up a lot of production time that we had not scheduled in. This is definitely something to remember next time I am working on anything with green screen.
After the film had the effects added in, i.e. the smoke and the green screen, I had said that I would colour correct it. From the outset we had said that we wanted it to be 'warm orange/yellow' tones instead of the original 'blue' tone footage. I used the three wheel colour correct tool in Adobe Premier Pro to push up the orangey/yellow colours.
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| BEFORE THREE WAY COLOUR WHEEL |
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| AFTER THREE WAY COLOUR WHEEL |
Doing this also made the smoke appear more 'smoggy' than in the original which is a look that we wanted.
Overall I am happy with the final cut. When we first proposed this idea I didn't really know what the final outcome was going to look like as I had never attempted something like this before. Therefore, I did not really have anything to compare it to in my head. There are obviously a few things I would want to change if I could do it again. For example, I would have pushed for more CLOSE UPS to be filmed in production a I feel this would have really rounded off the film better and made it slightly more interesting. We also filmed more leaves/rubbish blowing around in front of a green screen but we didn't get round to putting it in. If I could do it again I would definitely add these in. I would also have re-set dressed on the day of shooting because when they set up the camera there was a bare bit of wall that could have done with more posters. This was only realised when we had the footage back so I think more 'on set' competency would have been useful!
Having said this I am happy with this semesters module outcome as I feel I have learnt a lot (in regards to editing, green screen & set dressing) and that I will definitely take these skills with me in the future.
As far as the modules content is concerned I think I have tried to immerse my self in it (as seen in previous blog posts). I feel that this has helped me to come to a decision in regards to my 'PERSONAL PROJECT'.
I came up with my 'PERSONAL PROJECT' idea when looking into set designs (initially for the group project). I was looking into how we could use the flats, what formation, how many etc.. It was then that I came across the 'infinity wall' (or cyclorama). Mainly used in commercial photography studios. I had seen them before but I would have never thought to use it in a film set. This back drop for a set started me thinking about themes/story lines for my personal project. It was then that I came up with the idea of a sort of installation art film that would play on a loop and have a theme of 'infinity/never ending' throughout. I wanted this theme to echo throughout all aspects of my personal project, in the costume, content, editing etc...
My full powerpoint for my personal project can be viewed on this blog in a pervious post or CLICK HERE TO VIEW POWERPOINT
The main inspiration, in regards to the costume, was from a video on vimeo we were shown at the start of the module. It was called SOLIPSIST and is directed by Andrew Thomas Huang.
SOLIPSIST SHORT FILM (CLICK HERE) - (Andrew Thomas Huang. (2012). Solipsist. Available: https://vimeo.com/37848135. Last accessed 5th May 2014.)
I really liked the way the costume incorporated a variety of different materials and that made me start to really think about my own projects costume. There wasn't many actual full films that have influenced my own work but one advert in particular proved of some interest to my project. That was a 'SANEX' advert (the body wash). This advert uses human bodies intertwining with one another to create an illusion of porous skin.
SANEX TELEVISION ADVERT (CLICK HERE) - (2007). Sanex Body. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNR7jGML2dw&feature=player_embedded. Last accessed 5th May 2014.)
Although this film wasn't a direct influence on my final proposal for my personal project it did play a part in some of the research into the aesthetic aspects of it.
Another part of research that helped me in the build up to my final person project proposal was a piece of guided research that we were recommended. - (SHILO T. MCCLEAN (2007). Digital Storytelling -THE NARRATIVE POWER OF VISUAL EFFECTS IN FILM: MIT PRESS.)
This excerpt/chapter talks about how and why visual/digital effects are so important in story telling. I think this spurred me to think outside the box more for my personal project. For example mixing projection, shadow, costume and overlay editing all in one project.
In terms of planning and visualising my personal project I think I have been quite successful. The mood board I made helped me present my ideas to the group and my tutor successfully and I feel it would be a really exciting and interesting project to creatively realise.
To conclude this evaluation I will talk about my strengths and weaknesses throughout both projects. In terms of my weaknesses I think I could have been much more thorough in the planning stages. This only became evident when reviewing the footage as I would look back at it and realise that I should have changed something/moved something/added something etc... I think if I was more focussed in the planning stages this would not have happened. Another weakness of mine would be documenting the research I have done. I would often watch something online that would really open my eyes or give me new ideas to contribute towards my project but then forget to note it down and in result of this, loose/forget the video/online article etc... This will probably hinder my portfolio of work. These weaknesses, be them negative, are also positive in that I will definitely take them on board and alter my work flow so I can improve in the future.
My strengths in this module have surprised me. I didn't think I would enjoy the 'hands on' creative side of CPR as much as I have done. When in the group project I really enjoyed 'weathering' the look of the set. For example putting a coffee mixture over the shop bought curtains to give them a smoke stained appearance. We also set them on fire at the bottom to further this aesthetic. Once I got started in set dressing I really enjoyed it and think I did quite a good job. This enthusiasm lead into my personal project, although not yet physically realised, it still made me excited to come up with and design ideas for the costume/set. Another one of my strengths would be that I worked well in a team. I can say the same of the whole group actually as no one 'slacked' and everything pulled their weight equally. I really enjoyed this semester and it has made me excited to go into my final year and put these skills into practice. I am hoping to be an art directer on a film, set in the 90's, and I have already started planning/sketching ideas for this.
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