So we are seeing Adam alot more than I thought we would this year, after the first meeting were it was stated we would be seeing less of him this year, I could only think well we barely saw him last year so we won't have any classes this year. Well I think this was a exaggeration on some level.
Adam's classes are always fun and relaxed but at the same time still engaging and interesting. Fridays class consisted of watching an episode of life on mars which I really enjoyed. I had never seen the first episode before, only small glimpses when my parents were watching it back home. I never took much interest in the show. Although after watching a full episode on friday, its definitely on the box set order list [/Amazon]
After the show had ended we then went to analyse themes from Teachers and the Shameless Tv show, which we had completed a number of de-constructive sheets about what the shows key points were, such as themes. It was interesting to actually take a step back and do this to a TV show as we have only ever done it for films. The point from this was to allow Adam to show us what key themes are present on most successful TV shows so we can see which formula works, and which ones not so well.
I felt this was an obvious step to take, but one I would have never of thought of doing by myself. To sit back and see what themes make a good engaging TV show that the public can connect with. I will be applying this to any TV show package I think up of in the future.
Over all a brisk and fun class I felt, I took away a number of new key steps I will be applying to my ideas and feel I would be better prepared pitching an idea to commissioners as Adam put it, you just want to be able to give them the key points/themes of your show.
___
Andy's class on Tuesday was a Factual Research Class.
I find myself warming more and more to these classes, I find myself understanding more and more on how to approach situations that arise in documentary making, and well I'm sure one day I will find myself working on one in some area or another. These skills such as moral and ethical decision making I find most interesting, as we all think we can make the right decision when a difficult one arises. But when you sit down and actually think about it more, its interesting to see that the decision you thought was right may not be the right moral or ethical decision given the circumstances.
I think these classes are arming us with the necessary tools in which to deal with those grey moral zones that pop up from time to time. Although I'm sure I will never encounter a BNP disabled children teacher with a sex offender husband in my life time, although at least I know how to deal with that if it ever arrises *RUN!*
I do like these classes as it does tell us stage by stage about the different aspects of factual film making and how to approach each area, which in the long run will make us better film makers. I am never going to be a person who can interview someone, its just not who I am, I could never push anyone to reveal anything they didn't want to. But this is just one aspect of this medium, I am definitely more interested in factual film making now than what I was at the start of the Academy year.
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Sunday, 25 October 2009
12 Very Angry Men
I won't be complaining about this film Andy you will be glad to hear!
This film is set around 12 jurors sent to deliberate the decision on wether or not to send an 18 year old kid to death over the murder of his father. What seems like a very one sided open and shut case soon turns into a full scale fight between rival opinions.
I found last fridays film '12 Angry Men' a very intelligent perfectly pieced together film I have seen in a long time. It was almost as if we were watching a stage play, but with-out having to go to the theatre and sit beside very old men.
The film centred around one locked room in a court on the surface sounds incredibly dull, I thought this when I first heard what the film was set around. I thought to myself, just how can anyone make a good interesting film set in the one small location? Impossible I thought to myself. I have never seen nor think I will see a film again that would dare to do this, any modern director would have us flashing back and forwards from the crime to the jury room to keep a pace to it.
All credit is due to the director on this account for not doing that, its not important for us seeing the actual crime, all we need to see and hear are these men deliberating over it. Again sounds very bland, but it never once got dull nor boring at any point I feel. It had me hooked from the get-go, the incredible acting combined with the stage design and camera set ups made this one film you're not going to forget in a hurry.
I felt the characters all had so much depth and character to them, each one felt like an individual with his own story. Again the acting had me pulled right into the movie, the protagonists of the jury were so good at what they did that I felt like bursting into the room and shaking them back and forth to knock some sense into them. They felt like real people is what I'm trying to say.
Henry Fonda's character in particular with E.G Marshall were the two most captivating jurors, the two intelligent men battling their views backwards and forth really did make this movie something special. They had me hooked so much that I was changing my opinion on what really happened much like the jury themselves.
I love how the table seemed to work like a game of duck duck goose, with each character getting up and having his say about the situation as one would move to the window and be removed from the equation so we can concentrate more on him. All very stage play-ish, but I feel it worked very well. It could have gotten very repetitive if this was given to the wrong person. The fact each character were all contrasting from the person they were sat beside kept it fresh and engaging.
The film had so many twists and turns sewn into the narrative which kept each minute new and engaging, I felt like a juror in the very same room, swinging my vote backwards and forth as the men were doing.
The stage design was excellent in every way, the way the bland room had so much life to it. It expanded and enclosed itself many times as the battle waged backwards and forth. I also felt like going for a cold shower after watching the film as I felt I had been in that very same humid sweaty room for hours on end. For a movie to actually grab me that much with my attention span has my extended praise.
Over all I feel this film is one I will be buying on DVD to own as I still feel I can watch it again and take something completely new from it, this movie can teach alot to modern films.
This film is set around 12 jurors sent to deliberate the decision on wether or not to send an 18 year old kid to death over the murder of his father. What seems like a very one sided open and shut case soon turns into a full scale fight between rival opinions.
I found last fridays film '12 Angry Men' a very intelligent perfectly pieced together film I have seen in a long time. It was almost as if we were watching a stage play, but with-out having to go to the theatre and sit beside very old men.
The film centred around one locked room in a court on the surface sounds incredibly dull, I thought this when I first heard what the film was set around. I thought to myself, just how can anyone make a good interesting film set in the one small location? Impossible I thought to myself. I have never seen nor think I will see a film again that would dare to do this, any modern director would have us flashing back and forwards from the crime to the jury room to keep a pace to it.
All credit is due to the director on this account for not doing that, its not important for us seeing the actual crime, all we need to see and hear are these men deliberating over it. Again sounds very bland, but it never once got dull nor boring at any point I feel. It had me hooked from the get-go, the incredible acting combined with the stage design and camera set ups made this one film you're not going to forget in a hurry.
I felt the characters all had so much depth and character to them, each one felt like an individual with his own story. Again the acting had me pulled right into the movie, the protagonists of the jury were so good at what they did that I felt like bursting into the room and shaking them back and forth to knock some sense into them. They felt like real people is what I'm trying to say.
Henry Fonda's character in particular with E.G Marshall were the two most captivating jurors, the two intelligent men battling their views backwards and forth really did make this movie something special. They had me hooked so much that I was changing my opinion on what really happened much like the jury themselves.
I love how the table seemed to work like a game of duck duck goose, with each character getting up and having his say about the situation as one would move to the window and be removed from the equation so we can concentrate more on him. All very stage play-ish, but I feel it worked very well. It could have gotten very repetitive if this was given to the wrong person. The fact each character were all contrasting from the person they were sat beside kept it fresh and engaging.
The film had so many twists and turns sewn into the narrative which kept each minute new and engaging, I felt like a juror in the very same room, swinging my vote backwards and forth as the men were doing.
The stage design was excellent in every way, the way the bland room had so much life to it. It expanded and enclosed itself many times as the battle waged backwards and forth. I also felt like going for a cold shower after watching the film as I felt I had been in that very same humid sweaty room for hours on end. For a movie to actually grab me that much with my attention span has my extended praise.
Over all I feel this film is one I will be buying on DVD to own as I still feel I can watch it again and take something completely new from it, this movie can teach alot to modern films.
Thursday, 22 October 2009
The Godfather
The Godfather returns from the homeland
So editing once again, oh how I have missed you DTU you're arctic weather mixed in with sahara heat waves. All kidding aside it was good to be back doing what I hope to become one day. We have moved away from the Apple's flagship editing software Final Cut Studio and around to the more hands on Avid.
To begin with I was dreading using Avid, I had used it at college a number of years ago, wasn't a happy time in my life!. Avid constantly freaking out because the college was trying to run it on the windows platform with hardware that could barely run MS Word. This left me with a bad taste in my mouth with Avid, we departed not on good terms at all. Well we were never really taught how to use the software all to well anyways. Every bug was fixed by 'Just restart the machine' Not Gavin's crazy diving into sub folders and into the framework to actually sort the problem.
After ten minutes Gavin had worn me down over Avid, I felt more and more aware what the kit was able to do and how it doesn't act like an old man constantly forgetting where he put his shoes like Final Cut can be. It seemed to be more thought out and comfortable about what it was and what it can do, it wasn't pushing for any interface design awards such as FinalCut. The problems I had previously with Avid were in-fact just the kit telling you whats best and assuming you know what your doing.
The class seemed to fly passed, I really enjoyed it. I didn't find myself taking to many notes as I already had a grasp of Avid and just took the time to familiarise myself with it again. I do feel I would use Avid more now over Final Cut given the chance, but I still have a few problems with the kit.
First of all I'm not a fan of having bins pop up in separate windows, this does cause clutter and confuse me as to where things are and are going to be.
Not a fan of having to export then re-import titles just to add them
I could go on but its fairly small things I think I can learn to deal with. Overall I feel I have been pushed more to liking the way Avid deals with media than FinalCut.
Overall and enjoyable day, but still need to work on editing fast, just assembling a timeline then adjusting. I'm too much trying to tweak small details all the time.
So editing once again, oh how I have missed you DTU you're arctic weather mixed in with sahara heat waves. All kidding aside it was good to be back doing what I hope to become one day. We have moved away from the Apple's flagship editing software Final Cut Studio and around to the more hands on Avid.
To begin with I was dreading using Avid, I had used it at college a number of years ago, wasn't a happy time in my life!. Avid constantly freaking out because the college was trying to run it on the windows platform with hardware that could barely run MS Word. This left me with a bad taste in my mouth with Avid, we departed not on good terms at all. Well we were never really taught how to use the software all to well anyways. Every bug was fixed by 'Just restart the machine' Not Gavin's crazy diving into sub folders and into the framework to actually sort the problem.
After ten minutes Gavin had worn me down over Avid, I felt more and more aware what the kit was able to do and how it doesn't act like an old man constantly forgetting where he put his shoes like Final Cut can be. It seemed to be more thought out and comfortable about what it was and what it can do, it wasn't pushing for any interface design awards such as FinalCut. The problems I had previously with Avid were in-fact just the kit telling you whats best and assuming you know what your doing.
The class seemed to fly passed, I really enjoyed it. I didn't find myself taking to many notes as I already had a grasp of Avid and just took the time to familiarise myself with it again. I do feel I would use Avid more now over Final Cut given the chance, but I still have a few problems with the kit.
First of all I'm not a fan of having bins pop up in separate windows, this does cause clutter and confuse me as to where things are and are going to be.
Not a fan of having to export then re-import titles just to add them
I could go on but its fairly small things I think I can learn to deal with. Overall I feel I have been pushed more to liking the way Avid deals with media than FinalCut.
Overall and enjoyable day, but still need to work on editing fast, just assembling a timeline then adjusting. I'm too much trying to tweak small details all the time.
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
It's all in the idea
I should just cut and paste this saying, another week! so fast!
This week has brought us a rather strange class with Richard and okward knock knock jokes that seemed to baffle everyone in our class, and cause somewhat alot of confusion. If it wasn't for Murdo wadding in with his optimistic replies I think the strangeness of the situation may have caused my head to implode. I was sitting their convinced I had been drugged, it was all playing on a loop. First time I think I've ever seen a knock knock joke silence an entire class.
I did see the point Richard was making in that you have an understanding of what you are going to get from a knock knock joke, and that if you change the formula you either create something that travels the world or just leaves people sitting rather confused and wondering what just happened. Was a clever antidote even if it was somewhat lost on a few of us to begin with.
I still feel myself struggling to come up with any ideas for short films, I think oh yes now theres an idea. Then on further reflection it occurs to me that its more suited to mediums such a TV. So I feel myself more and more leaning towards writing for TV rather than films and such. I love having more space to play with story arcs instead of getting it all over in the space of 7 minutes, which I feel I struggle with.
Tuesday saw us with Andy and more factual content, these classes always hold interested points and discussions that I can walk away having taken something from the class. I do feel I find it a little harder to engage in these classes as it at its core is about research and getting information from people, thus less creativity involved. Which is no bad thing, but I just feel myself having to push myself that little more to stay engaged. Its all relevant information I will definitely have to use at some point in my future career.
Wednesday saw me being woke up by fire alarms going off and on every two minutes for an hour! *Sigh*
This week has brought us a rather strange class with Richard and okward knock knock jokes that seemed to baffle everyone in our class, and cause somewhat alot of confusion. If it wasn't for Murdo wadding in with his optimistic replies I think the strangeness of the situation may have caused my head to implode. I was sitting their convinced I had been drugged, it was all playing on a loop. First time I think I've ever seen a knock knock joke silence an entire class.
I did see the point Richard was making in that you have an understanding of what you are going to get from a knock knock joke, and that if you change the formula you either create something that travels the world or just leaves people sitting rather confused and wondering what just happened. Was a clever antidote even if it was somewhat lost on a few of us to begin with.
I still feel myself struggling to come up with any ideas for short films, I think oh yes now theres an idea. Then on further reflection it occurs to me that its more suited to mediums such a TV. So I feel myself more and more leaning towards writing for TV rather than films and such. I love having more space to play with story arcs instead of getting it all over in the space of 7 minutes, which I feel I struggle with.
Tuesday saw us with Andy and more factual content, these classes always hold interested points and discussions that I can walk away having taken something from the class. I do feel I find it a little harder to engage in these classes as it at its core is about research and getting information from people, thus less creativity involved. Which is no bad thing, but I just feel myself having to push myself that little more to stay engaged. Its all relevant information I will definitely have to use at some point in my future career.
Wednesday saw me being woke up by fire alarms going off and on every two minutes for an hour! *Sigh*
Sunday, 18 October 2009
The Sound
This weeks lesson with our new Sound lecturer was really a breath of fresh air, all credit to Simon he knows his stuff obviously. But you can either teach or not, theres no in-between.
Our new lecturer did exactly what we all needed, a sit down with the equipment with him talking through what everything does, a down to the line 'techy' talk for a few hours. We were able to take notes and absorb everything in, we don't need to be picking up the equipment every second to be able to understand what everything does.
I got many notes from the class, notes I can look back over if needs be. Something I couldn't do last year. I found him really down to earth, he knew his stuff but he didn't get into the physics of it straight away which would just lead to confusion. He only talked about the simple things during our first lesson, the basics to be more precise. Just to let things sink in first, you need to be able to walk before you can run.
I'm still no nearer to wanting to do sound in anyway, but I feel I have grasp the concept of it alot better and have a better understanding of whats involved in it. I think he knew sound bored us all so he kept it all very light, nothing to heavy to begin with which would have just shut us all off.
I don't feel too bad about going back to another sound lecture, last year you would have to push my every step of the way to the classroom.
Overall a good class, very down to earth tutor who has a very good way of teaching and well I'm not going to lie and say I'm looking forward to our next class but it doesn't 'bother' me as much now *Thumbs Up*
Our new lecturer did exactly what we all needed, a sit down with the equipment with him talking through what everything does, a down to the line 'techy' talk for a few hours. We were able to take notes and absorb everything in, we don't need to be picking up the equipment every second to be able to understand what everything does.
I got many notes from the class, notes I can look back over if needs be. Something I couldn't do last year. I found him really down to earth, he knew his stuff but he didn't get into the physics of it straight away which would just lead to confusion. He only talked about the simple things during our first lesson, the basics to be more precise. Just to let things sink in first, you need to be able to walk before you can run.
I'm still no nearer to wanting to do sound in anyway, but I feel I have grasp the concept of it alot better and have a better understanding of whats involved in it. I think he knew sound bored us all so he kept it all very light, nothing to heavy to begin with which would have just shut us all off.
I don't feel too bad about going back to another sound lecture, last year you would have to push my every step of the way to the classroom.
Overall a good class, very down to earth tutor who has a very good way of teaching and well I'm not going to lie and say I'm looking forward to our next class but it doesn't 'bother' me as much now *Thumbs Up*
The Conversation
Another Friday another movie.
The Conversation starring Gene Hackman, Harrison Ford and John Cazale. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
This was just the type of movie that doesn't agree with me at all, I would say I am rather impatient at the best of times. So this movie was never going to be my cup of tea. The long zoom shot at the start just had my insides tying themselves in knots. All I could think about was pushing the camera mans finger down on the zoom button. It was for me a thrust-rating watch from start to finish.
It's definitely a movie you need to be paying 100% attention all the time, drift of for a second and the movie has left you by the side of road with no money for the bus. I found it difficult to interpret what each scene was about and how it was moving the story forward in anyway. I did understand some key plot points and times, but failed to see how most of the movie was driving this forward. I'm never usually a fan of movies that confuse you from the start as to what is going on, then leave all the answers until the end for the big climax.
I find these movies difficult to engage with, I found the lack of drive and tediously long scenes unutterable. I'm sure for the right sort of person they would love this movie, I'm sure its a very smart and complex movie that for the right audience it would be a fantastic watch. But for me I found all the characters boring and dull, I didn't feel connected at any point to any of them or what their story was. I think they spent to long trying to establish this guy as a surveillance expert and that well he has dull life, but forgot that we also have to like him.
There was no moment were I thought theres more to this guy than what were seeing, it was just relentless in the fact of pushing the audience to the extreme end of one part of character depth. I just felt we needed more from our main character to engage with.
The story just failed to grab me in any way, I just don't feel for me personally it just wasn't interesting enough. It was never going get my unwavering attention, it did this in a matter of minutes of the opening scene. From this I had to force myself to watch it, which you don't have to be a movie critic to know that this isn't a good thing. The scenes were just to long and a number of them I felt could have been cut out of the film.
Gene Hackmans character in many ways was a brilliantly crafted character, I could be made to believe that he was in actual fact a real character as they did really nail it on the head. He acted it out perfectly, but for me this was its stumbling fault. It was so well written and it was so well acted out that it just all became to much to watch. His character was a dull old man who's in the surveillance business. It all lacked any life to it, or well just any real drive. For me I felt like the film was driving around in circles, It didn't seem to be going anywhere and I just held no interest in it after about the first act.
Maybe I am letting modern cinema effect me too much as for as much as it shames me to say it, I miss my short to the point scenes and clear cuts.
Overall not a movie I would dare to watch again, I am still trying to get the films score out my head. Its driving me insane.
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
Pandorum
This newly released under-rated film staring Dennis Quaid as Payton and Ben Fosters as Bower the ships technical officer. After waking up from a pre-longed hyper sleep with their memory not all that in-tacked, they soon realise there is something not right about the ship. The deserted cavernous corridors all lie empty and eerily quiet. Bower and our man Payton manage to bump into each other after a small scour around the huge ship.
They try and piece together what has happened and what there mission was in the first place, but there isn't much room for talking as they soon discover what has went wrong when Bower is chased by blood thirsty monsters after his insides.
The movie was a good watch, alot better than I had ever expected. I really did think it was going to be a cheap thrills sci-fi movie with gore chucked in for good measure. I didn't really expect it to have any real underbelly of story to it. I am glad to say that after watching a short portion of the movie I was surprised at the level of acting and actual real well thought out plot-points. Not to say that some of it was rather predictable, but what movie isn't at some point. It didn't go for cheap thrills that it could have went for, it took its time establishing the characters and the setting they were in before doing any real action/gore
The director knew the value of letting the audience connect with the characters before throwing them in harms way. Although it did feel rather like a computer game with Payton talking to Bower over a walkie talkie. Not to say this is a bad thing, but I did see plenty of computer game influence in this movie.
I was shockingly taken by this movie from the get-go, the whole feel of the movie felt raw and real. I was genuinely captivated by the high level of acting by Dennis and Ben Fosters, I haven't seen Fosters in too many movies before but he is an underrated actor who really knows his stuff, would like to see him in more movies in the future. As for Dennin Quaid he wasn't a typical american actor in this one, like he is in every other movie I've seen him in. He didn't have any of those American quotes they seem to throw him at such as 'Mission is a Go!' It did seem like he actually or someone down the line and put some effort into this character.
The movie which was obviously pitched as Aliens/Event Horizon was a dam good rip-off, it seemed to do what it set out to do. It didn't get carried away with itself at any point, I didn't feel disconnected from what was going on at any stage through-out the movie. It was a nice good packaged movie that had enough twist and turns in it to keep you interested through-out. The storyline surprised me at many points, the writer and director knew how to mislead the audience on what was going on, in a good way. The movie didn't trip itself up on being to complicated, it had twists and turns yes, but I didn't ever need to think what was happening on screen. Although the film geography as Paul pointed out was not the best I've ever seen, this could have been solved with just one scene of them looking at the ships map to see where they are going. This wasn't enough to trip it up, it didn't really disrupt the movie and wasn't all that essential to the plot.
Over all a pleasant surprise from a movie I had to high expectations for. I will go as far to say I will be buying this when it comes out on DVD
Direction
Another week seems to have all but passed us again, I swear I wake up Monday and then its Friday the next day. Well must be having fun if its going passed so fast I guess :)
This week hasn't really had anything interesting happen in it, no-ones been shot by terrorists or kidnapped by aliens yet. Although we did have a full day of Zam directing class, which as always was really good. He manages to get points across really easily with-out it seeming like he is actually teaching us. Which for me is good as my brain tends to try shut down when it realises someones trying to teach it something.
On a side not though, I have went from watching one of the famous Godfathers scene which everyone loves to thinking it looks all rather student like. Extra's not knowing where to go and a woman who just seems to casually get up and stroll out, that combined with the camera shake! Happy accident as Zam put it, and one it is. I had never noticed it all before until pointed out to me. It has taught me as an hopeful editor that all these small things I pain over in the edit suite to get rid of, sure that its all very noticeable. Its shown me that it all sticks out like a sore thumb to me as thats what I'm trained to look for, but the average Joe won't always notice small technical faults. Not in anyway saying I will think its OK to leave these things in, but will have less heart-attacks when I see the pen disappears from the table for example.
Richard story hunting isn't going well, no sir-e. I just can't seem to think up a small doable idea that floats his boat. I can visualise ideas and shots in my head, and I think I can get them across to people with images and such. But actually coming up with a story its becoming really hard for me. I really need to go to Starbucks as thats where screenwriters seem to be able to come up with ideas. Something in the Coffee? ... I think so!
DFTV Night-Out
What a night, well what I can remember. Charlottes and Gavin's Greek palace they live in, with their balcony which is easily the size of my entire flat! Yeah its not that big of a flat Charlotte...Its MASSIVE! The greek waterfall in the bathroom I thought was abit much though, just plain showing off and the gold plated T.V. don't get me started!
We somehow ended up playing some sort of Harry Potter quiz game, which I was in Johns team. For someone who hasn't read the books and saw the first film about a decade ago, I wasn't that much of a good team mate to say the least. Not that it would have mattered as Murdo seems to have played this game before and answered the question before it was asked! Needless to say our marker didn't move all to far down the board.
Asides from this Charlotte seemed to want to poison me and John with her crazy cocktails, I swear she was trying to drug us. One seemed to be a mix of really thick latte mixed with half a bottle of vodka. Hmm I wonder how I could have ended up so drunk, its a thinker.
A way to the Garage we went, well thats where my memory of the night ends I'm afraid. There are lots of images in my head of being there, just none that really connect together all to well. How did I spend £20 people, it was £1 a drink and theres no way I bought twenty.
Well these are my rambles for the week that is nearly coming to a close again. Sound tomorrow, will be interesting to meet the new tutor and see if he can explain the mixer with out the analogy of water flowing? Still don't really understand that.
This week hasn't really had anything interesting happen in it, no-ones been shot by terrorists or kidnapped by aliens yet. Although we did have a full day of Zam directing class, which as always was really good. He manages to get points across really easily with-out it seeming like he is actually teaching us. Which for me is good as my brain tends to try shut down when it realises someones trying to teach it something.
On a side not though, I have went from watching one of the famous Godfathers scene which everyone loves to thinking it looks all rather student like. Extra's not knowing where to go and a woman who just seems to casually get up and stroll out, that combined with the camera shake! Happy accident as Zam put it, and one it is. I had never noticed it all before until pointed out to me. It has taught me as an hopeful editor that all these small things I pain over in the edit suite to get rid of, sure that its all very noticeable. Its shown me that it all sticks out like a sore thumb to me as thats what I'm trained to look for, but the average Joe won't always notice small technical faults. Not in anyway saying I will think its OK to leave these things in, but will have less heart-attacks when I see the pen disappears from the table for example.
Richard story hunting isn't going well, no sir-e. I just can't seem to think up a small doable idea that floats his boat. I can visualise ideas and shots in my head, and I think I can get them across to people with images and such. But actually coming up with a story its becoming really hard for me. I really need to go to Starbucks as thats where screenwriters seem to be able to come up with ideas. Something in the Coffee? ... I think so!
DFTV Night-Out
What a night, well what I can remember. Charlottes and Gavin's Greek palace they live in, with their balcony which is easily the size of my entire flat! Yeah its not that big of a flat Charlotte...Its MASSIVE! The greek waterfall in the bathroom I thought was abit much though, just plain showing off and the gold plated T.V. don't get me started!
We somehow ended up playing some sort of Harry Potter quiz game, which I was in Johns team. For someone who hasn't read the books and saw the first film about a decade ago, I wasn't that much of a good team mate to say the least. Not that it would have mattered as Murdo seems to have played this game before and answered the question before it was asked! Needless to say our marker didn't move all to far down the board.
Asides from this Charlotte seemed to want to poison me and John with her crazy cocktails, I swear she was trying to drug us. One seemed to be a mix of really thick latte mixed with half a bottle of vodka. Hmm I wonder how I could have ended up so drunk, its a thinker.
A way to the Garage we went, well thats where my memory of the night ends I'm afraid. There are lots of images in my head of being there, just none that really connect together all to well. How did I spend £20 people, it was £1 a drink and theres no way I bought twenty.
Well these are my rambles for the week that is nearly coming to a close again. Sound tomorrow, will be interesting to meet the new tutor and see if he can explain the mixer with out the analogy of water flowing? Still don't really understand that.
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Around and Around
How the weeks seem to be flying past already, feels like we have just got back and already its week 2. Have I been in a coma somewhere, I think its due to us not being in from 9:30 till 4 every day like last year. I love the course don't get me wrong but it did wear me out towards the end of the year. And I don't want to come to recent the academy. I feel this timetable is far better, feels more relaxed and more time to get work done! Thats always a plus.
I especially like our knew class of directing, Zam just is the man. Down to earth and teaches without just talking to you. He has a way of making it all very exciting and interesting. I feel having his class will definitely help with performances in any new films we make in the future. The experiment he done where by we showed our favourite scene was a brilliant class, I thought I knew why I liked the scene but he opened up so many other doors of why the scene has been made so well that I just didn't think of. Not that I just chose the Saving Private Ryan scene from the stairwell just to make everyone want to go into a corner and rock back and forth :)
I just how no matter how many times I watch this movie, this scene still gets me every time. As john put it, I could have quite happily of gone another year without seeing that again. Its just so suspenseful, and the tension it creates has everyone shouting at the screen "Get up those stairs!" I sometimes turn it off just before that scene, as when that knife slowly goes in...it just makes me feel so distraught.
I am feeling the work beginning to pile up though, got alot to do already and so little time. I just can't seem to find time to sit down and think of ideas for Richard at all. My mind just goes blank every time, I've been squeezed dry of ideas for the moment, but will need to get the gears moving a.s.a.p.
Andy's research classes have been interesting also, yeah I'm not actually just saying that. I like this kinda thing, I can sit on wikipedia for hours just reading about things I would have never otherwise have read about. For example battles from WW2 that I just never knew happened. All these facts in the one place is just a dream for sad little people such as myself.
The field trip to the library sounds equally as exciting for me, just to be able to pull of books and documents about the most random of things that I would have never otherwise have read, just sounds like the best place in the world. I would also happily spend the rest of my life in a place such as this.
Technical with Ray was a tad embarrassing when we had our quiz and I got 6/15 in the first one. Most of the answers I got wrong involved things such as lenses and focal length, which I have never really been able to pick up. I did read over my notes yesterday but obviously my notes are all that detailed. Will need to pull some notes of moodle at some point and get revising!
The second quiz was alot easier as it wasn't multiple choice so I couldn't confuse myself as in, oh its that one...no wait that one sounds better? The second one I just wrote what I thought was right and I hope it all was...here's hoping. I don't think he was expecting us to remember it all in detail so not too worried. I did the best that I could do, hopes thats enough.
Anyways what a fast week its been! Just seems to be flying past, but on a side note! I'm not a fan of 'that' woman at the cafe bar who seems to hate me for some reason, throwing the packet of crisps at me like I was something she stood one. I wasn't impressed, I really wasn't.
I especially like our knew class of directing, Zam just is the man. Down to earth and teaches without just talking to you. He has a way of making it all very exciting and interesting. I feel having his class will definitely help with performances in any new films we make in the future. The experiment he done where by we showed our favourite scene was a brilliant class, I thought I knew why I liked the scene but he opened up so many other doors of why the scene has been made so well that I just didn't think of. Not that I just chose the Saving Private Ryan scene from the stairwell just to make everyone want to go into a corner and rock back and forth :)
I just how no matter how many times I watch this movie, this scene still gets me every time. As john put it, I could have quite happily of gone another year without seeing that again. Its just so suspenseful, and the tension it creates has everyone shouting at the screen "Get up those stairs!" I sometimes turn it off just before that scene, as when that knife slowly goes in...it just makes me feel so distraught.
I am feeling the work beginning to pile up though, got alot to do already and so little time. I just can't seem to find time to sit down and think of ideas for Richard at all. My mind just goes blank every time, I've been squeezed dry of ideas for the moment, but will need to get the gears moving a.s.a.p.
Andy's research classes have been interesting also, yeah I'm not actually just saying that. I like this kinda thing, I can sit on wikipedia for hours just reading about things I would have never otherwise have read about. For example battles from WW2 that I just never knew happened. All these facts in the one place is just a dream for sad little people such as myself.
The field trip to the library sounds equally as exciting for me, just to be able to pull of books and documents about the most random of things that I would have never otherwise have read, just sounds like the best place in the world. I would also happily spend the rest of my life in a place such as this.
Technical with Ray was a tad embarrassing when we had our quiz and I got 6/15 in the first one. Most of the answers I got wrong involved things such as lenses and focal length, which I have never really been able to pick up. I did read over my notes yesterday but obviously my notes are all that detailed. Will need to pull some notes of moodle at some point and get revising!
The second quiz was alot easier as it wasn't multiple choice so I couldn't confuse myself as in, oh its that one...no wait that one sounds better? The second one I just wrote what I thought was right and I hope it all was...here's hoping. I don't think he was expecting us to remember it all in detail so not too worried. I did the best that I could do, hopes thats enough.
Anyways what a fast week its been! Just seems to be flying past, but on a side note! I'm not a fan of 'that' woman at the cafe bar who seems to hate me for some reason, throwing the packet of crisps at me like I was something she stood one. I wasn't impressed, I really wasn't.
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
Gone Baby Gone
I have been wavering past and forth this DVD in HMV for a good couple of months now, not really knowing wether to buy it or not. There has always been better DVD's to make up the 4 for 20 deal. But last week I finally pushed myself to buy it. Staring Casey Afflect in the main role, well from what I could tell was the main role, I'll get into that later though. It also co-stars Morgan Freeman, the man who is in every film ever made. Also Michelle Monaghan and Ed Harris.
Theres nothing really to shout about here star wise, yes Casey Afflects dry acting and a mumbling speaking tone suited him very well in 'The assassination of Jessie James' as a shy boy trying to be noticed. But in this film as a private detective who seemingly narratively wise was supposed to be a go-getter and someone who doesn't take any 'jip' of anyone. His acting style just counter acted it the whole way through, it just seemed really out of place. Apart from struggling to hear what the guy was saying half the time, I'm sorry but speak up! I'm not a fan of subtitles. His inability to make eye contact just made him appear shy and a loner.
The film started of relatively good, seemed like it was going to be a unique heart touching story from the outset. It all felt really warm and well just by the way it opened up felt like it was a tragedy story. Which of-course it was, but didn't do very well at.
A drug addicts mothers child is kidnapped and not to hopeful the police are doing there best, her brother or uncle? it never made all that clear, hires in a private detective duo - Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan as his girlfriend/assistant.
They imminently start their investigation talking to local neighbours and friends and such, which otherwise ends them up teaming up with police officer Ed Harris. Which turns into the most typical good cop bad cop routine I've ever seen in any film.
The characters from here just all feel loosely written and plotted out, there doesn't seem to have been any rhythm to the story.
I'm not sure the director had actually read the book it was based on, there was no emotion anywhere to be seen here. Apart from the odd sobbing from Michelle Monaghan, it just felt fake to the core. The sub-plots seemed to take hold more than any real strong central plot-line. I forgot at one point they were looking for a little girl, as they were too busy arguing with one another ALL the time. As well as this no-one really seemed to take the lead in anyway, everyone seemed to have an equal role in the film. Which let it down as every movie needs there lead actor to drive forward the film, someone to connect with, I just didn't think it spent enough time with anyone character to connect with them, thus lost interest in the film, no-depth!
I feel there is a really interesting story here somewhere, the book wouldn't have been a best seller if there wasn't. But the movie adaptation just failed to get to core of it at any point, characters fighting for screen time and no ryphm just let it down sorely.
I was just all over the place, I kept aspecting it to get better but it never did.
It just didn't go anywhere with me at all, and it let it self down, what could have been a great movie has let itself down.
Sunday, 4 October 2009
Work far better under pressure
This week I have been working on ideas and such for Richard's Mondays class, after a full week of trying to come up with ideas, I love the fact I seem to come up with better ideas at the last possible moment. I have been reading the book 'Save the Cat' the how to write a screenplay book. Its an interesting read, but most of it seems to be common sense, such as your premis has to be clear and concise so people know what the movie is about. Duh? comes to mind.
I'm looking forward to going back to Richard's class tomorrow and hope he likes me idea's, theres not alot but its not about quantity but quality. Well at-least thats what I keep telling myself, I hope its true in this case. I have been going in circles as I come up with what I think is a good idea then realise its already been done ten times over. I have been trying my best to incorporate zombies into my ideas, just because I want to make a movie with zombies in them but they just don't ever seem to fit. I will just include a random zombie at some point in the background having a cup of tea or something!
I'm looking forward to going back to Richard's class tomorrow and hope he likes me idea's, theres not alot but its not about quantity but quality. Well at-least thats what I keep telling myself, I hope its true in this case. I have been going in circles as I come up with what I think is a good idea then realise its already been done ten times over. I have been trying my best to incorporate zombies into my ideas, just because I want to make a movie with zombies in them but they just don't ever seem to fit. I will just include a random zombie at some point in the background having a cup of tea or something!
Surrogates
I seen it yes, I get in for free!
Well I might as well just look at a review for iRobot as these are just the same movie with a few tweaks, the shameless copy of even using the same actor as the 'godfather' of the robots was well...shameless. It was blatantly just trying to appeal way to much to fans of iRobot. That Hollywood idea of that if they liked that they will come to see this one.
The movie didn't start of to bad, was not a terribly intriguing plot line to say the least, but it was an 'OK' first twenty minutes, then it just went from OK to dull then tedious at points. It got a little confusing at times as well with people using different 'Surrogates' so was sat there thinking ok so who is this person now? It wasn't really explained all to well what was happening.
The plot-line failed to pick up any real momentum at any stage, it was just dull to say the least. I could just see where someone has read a 'how to write a screen play in 10 days' book. It was just all abit to neat and tidy, I knew exactly what was going to happen, it was obvious. It never really dared to try anything new, it was just a re-packed movie from the £1 movie bucket.
Well after saying all that theres not really much I can say about character depths or narrative without using the same words 'dull, tedious' have I used the word boring? Well to go a tad further they were paper thin, the narrative failed to give them any real depth what so ever, they were box characters again just recycled material.
This movie will be forgotten the day after people watch it, it doesn't say anything of any real importance. The theme was dull and well all a tad 'seen it all before'. Its nothing new and not even really worth thinking about in any real depth. This was Bruce just paying for his new house in the Swiss alps. You can see in his acting he just really didn't care about this movie and didn't really put any real raw emotion into it.
Boring Dull, Average. Seen it all before, This is money that could have been better spent. Its a movie from a skint Hollywood producing something from the pre-aprroved list of movie genre's.
Well I might as well just look at a review for iRobot as these are just the same movie with a few tweaks, the shameless copy of even using the same actor as the 'godfather' of the robots was well...shameless. It was blatantly just trying to appeal way to much to fans of iRobot. That Hollywood idea of that if they liked that they will come to see this one.
The movie didn't start of to bad, was not a terribly intriguing plot line to say the least, but it was an 'OK' first twenty minutes, then it just went from OK to dull then tedious at points. It got a little confusing at times as well with people using different 'Surrogates' so was sat there thinking ok so who is this person now? It wasn't really explained all to well what was happening.
The plot-line failed to pick up any real momentum at any stage, it was just dull to say the least. I could just see where someone has read a 'how to write a screen play in 10 days' book. It was just all abit to neat and tidy, I knew exactly what was going to happen, it was obvious. It never really dared to try anything new, it was just a re-packed movie from the £1 movie bucket.
Well after saying all that theres not really much I can say about character depths or narrative without using the same words 'dull, tedious' have I used the word boring? Well to go a tad further they were paper thin, the narrative failed to give them any real depth what so ever, they were box characters again just recycled material.
This movie will be forgotten the day after people watch it, it doesn't say anything of any real importance. The theme was dull and well all a tad 'seen it all before'. Its nothing new and not even really worth thinking about in any real depth. This was Bruce just paying for his new house in the Swiss alps. You can see in his acting he just really didn't care about this movie and didn't really put any real raw emotion into it.
Boring Dull, Average. Seen it all before, This is money that could have been better spent. Its a movie from a skint Hollywood producing something from the pre-aprroved list of movie genre's.
Friday, 2 October 2009
Metropolis
Through-out last year we watched a number of silent cinema, a number of very good gems that reputation preceded itself. But in this instance, I really didn't get it. Visually the film was fantastic for its time and musically the score was equally as fantastic, I can see why so many directors have taken so much visually from it. But its just like a very attractive girl at the bar you can't stop looking at but when you say hello and find out she's in-fact called something like Shelly and doesn't know the alphabet. It all felt just a tad hollow for me.
The plot seemed dull and verging on dare I say mind boggling at times, I kept worrying that maybe I drifted off into a day dream for a time then missed all the key plot points. To myself it just felt all over the place, nothing seemed to connect with itself. Then occasionally you would get some sort of 'metaphor' in your face that seemed so upfront that I was left wondering why again I just didn't click with what it was trying to say or do.
I don't even think it was the missing scenes that made me get so lost, there was enough film there. And no film should be that complicated and intricate that someone can't walk in halfway in and not be able to pick up some sort of plot-line. That would be a poor excuse to use as to why I was so bothered by this movie.
There were hints at the gap between rich and poor and that the poor and are always put of of sight, and thus out of mind. Aslong as they do there jobs no-one cares about them. But yeah that was obvious, but what more? there must have been more to this movie? Not to mention the ridiculous way the poor were represented. Lets just flood our homes..."Honey..did you remember to put the kids to bed?"
It just didn't seem to know what is was trying to say or do, almost as if it didn't really have a theme. So I just couldn't connect with it and tried to apply my own theme to it to see if it would fit. It was just all a tad too much confusing. I couldn't just switch off and let it tell me a story. Was it trying to make a serious point, but then was all abit comical at times for that. This is just some of what I was thinking when watching it, I just didn't know what to take from it.
I found the actors bearable, fine, average nothing really to fault, yes you had the over the top expressions all the time. But this was just because it was a silent film and it was what it was.
Yes it was ahead of its time in many ways, but in a Michael Bay kind of way, special effects don't make a movie.
In conclusion all I can really say is, the word of the day is confused. It didn't build on itself in anyway, it was either trying to say too much or too little, that just left me wondering what was going on. It just didn't seem to have any sort story arc at all. It was just all to 'flimsy' for me. I was really let down by this movie of what I thought was going to be a classic.
The plot seemed dull and verging on dare I say mind boggling at times, I kept worrying that maybe I drifted off into a day dream for a time then missed all the key plot points. To myself it just felt all over the place, nothing seemed to connect with itself. Then occasionally you would get some sort of 'metaphor' in your face that seemed so upfront that I was left wondering why again I just didn't click with what it was trying to say or do.
I don't even think it was the missing scenes that made me get so lost, there was enough film there. And no film should be that complicated and intricate that someone can't walk in halfway in and not be able to pick up some sort of plot-line. That would be a poor excuse to use as to why I was so bothered by this movie.
There were hints at the gap between rich and poor and that the poor and are always put of of sight, and thus out of mind. Aslong as they do there jobs no-one cares about them. But yeah that was obvious, but what more? there must have been more to this movie? Not to mention the ridiculous way the poor were represented. Lets just flood our homes..."Honey..did you remember to put the kids to bed?"
It just didn't seem to know what is was trying to say or do, almost as if it didn't really have a theme. So I just couldn't connect with it and tried to apply my own theme to it to see if it would fit. It was just all a tad too much confusing. I couldn't just switch off and let it tell me a story. Was it trying to make a serious point, but then was all abit comical at times for that. This is just some of what I was thinking when watching it, I just didn't know what to take from it.
I found the actors bearable, fine, average nothing really to fault, yes you had the over the top expressions all the time. But this was just because it was a silent film and it was what it was.
Yes it was ahead of its time in many ways, but in a Michael Bay kind of way, special effects don't make a movie.
In conclusion all I can really say is, the word of the day is confused. It didn't build on itself in anyway, it was either trying to say too much or too little, that just left me wondering what was going on. It just didn't seem to have any sort story arc at all. It was just all to 'flimsy' for me. I was really let down by this movie of what I thought was going to be a classic.
Thursday, 1 October 2009
Re-set Password
Hello Blogger! How I have oh so very much missed you, so much I had to re-set my password as I had forgotten it.
Was strange being back at the academy as I wasn't in during the summer holidays at-all. But at the same time it doesn't feel as if we have been off for summer apart from the fact there are first years, strange! We are still better and everyone knows it! I still found myself writing DFTV1 on my notebooks though.
This week hasn't been to gruelling, but I am under no illusions, its the calm before the storm. Or before the sh*t hits the fan, we will soon be so very busy we will have to schedule time to breathe and eat I'm sure. But I am enjoying being back, I especially liked our directing class this week, He seemed down to earth and generally a cool guy. He seemed to really know what he was talking about but with out preaching it which was good. I look forward to more of his classes and learning how to direct.
Not really much more to add, maybe put a movie review up later, going to see Surrogates today. I get in for free so I'm allowed to go see bad movies!
Was strange being back at the academy as I wasn't in during the summer holidays at-all. But at the same time it doesn't feel as if we have been off for summer apart from the fact there are first years, strange! We are still better and everyone knows it! I still found myself writing DFTV1 on my notebooks though.
This week hasn't been to gruelling, but I am under no illusions, its the calm before the storm. Or before the sh*t hits the fan, we will soon be so very busy we will have to schedule time to breathe and eat I'm sure. But I am enjoying being back, I especially liked our directing class this week, He seemed down to earth and generally a cool guy. He seemed to really know what he was talking about but with out preaching it which was good. I look forward to more of his classes and learning how to direct.
Not really much more to add, maybe put a movie review up later, going to see Surrogates today. I get in for free so I'm allowed to go see bad movies!
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