Choosing between two windowless rooms

So the films have been shot and are sitting on various hard disks ready to be imported and edited. I can say with all honesty that producing 'Breathing Room' was an experience, it was fun, it was enjoyable it was painfully exhausting at times. It all comes with the territory.

I do not regret having picked producing for my second specialism for these films, it has given me an insight to an area that I really didn't have that much respect for before. Production classes were the thorn in my side in second year. I really don't know what made me pick it as a second choice, maybe I was tired, maybe it was a glitch in the matrix. I did see alot of black cats that day hanging around.

This might sound like I am stamping all over Production, but this was before I had actually had time to do it. During the time producing I definitely have learned to respect it, its one hell of a gig. I found myself not quite knowing what to do for the first few days, but I soon got into the swing of things.

Going back on what I've said in previous posts, I feel I have grown up alot. I feel more responsible in alot of ways. I feel more organised in the way I approach things and the way I deal with people, I no longer have trouble speaking to people I'm not to sure of. These are tools I will carry with me into the industry and for the rest of my life. I do not regret picking producing one little bit.

But now lies the question, do I choose a production office with no windows or an edit suite with no windows? Well it was a difficult call, I did swing backwards and forwards in my head a lot of times before coming to my decision. My thought process was what would get me further into the industry.

Producing seems to the better choice for this, but then I got thinking. Everyone person we have in to speak to us at the Academy have started of as runners and various amongst various other roles. So I don't think it really matters a huge amount what specialism's we choose, we could end up all being bankers. It all depends on the chances that present themselves and acting on them. This made me think that just because I pick one subject I like over another subject I also like it doesn't thus mean I can't do the other.

So after sometime thinking about it I have chosen to specialise in Editing. This is an area I have enjoyed working with-in since I first started with this film malarky 4 years ago. This is not to turn my back on producing but I do think out of the two I enjoy editing alot more than I do producing. Before editing I was possibly a little lazy, so producing has really given me that drive that I lacked before.

So Adam you can put me down for editing next year.

That is all

Michael Maxwell

Breathing Room

Well with the film now shot, far from my job being over I'd still like to reflect on the experience of producing so far.

The job of producing really comes down to waiting for something to go wrong and reacting to the situation accordingly. It combines a series of highs and lows, one moment you seem to be getting everything done and sorted, signed off, stamped and sealed. Then the next you are running around like a headless chicken trying to fix something that has suddenly ruptured.

Although its this exactly what makes producing so much fun, its the constant having your finger on the pulse that makes each day a constant learning experience. Each day wether I was leaving in panic melt down mode or walking on air, I still felt I had learned something new from that day.

It was jumping into the deep end for me, having only produced the PMB scenes which really just involved ordering taxi's - producing 'Breathing Room' really was on the other end of the spectrum.

I'm not saying it was a difficult job to produce it but it factored in so many equations that the PMB scenes didn't have nor need. You really do feel on the first few days of producing that you have to act like you know what you are doing. After all its your sole responsibly to get the film going, thats enough to scare anyone.

Looking back in hindsight I can really see how far I have come, looking back on the rookie mistakes I was making and the silly little things that could have been done better it makes me cringe somewhat. But this is a good thing, being able to see the learning process from start to finish in a manner in which you can see the difference in your working methods is what learning is all about.

Yes we are far from finished with this film. Having a series of shots in a hard drive is far from having a film, we have climbed the mountain now starts the decent. I'm sure the coming weeks and months will hold another vast array of learning experiences for me, and I can say in total confidence 'I can't wait'.

Having been locked in the production office for nine hours days for two weeks before shooting, its amazing to see what all the hard work was really for. Although I can say I was surprised how little I had to do on set in contrast to pre-production. I found myself giving myself silly little jobs to go and do to make it seem look as if I was still this busy little bee. This is only down to one factor, the crew working as a perfect team and just getting on with the job in hand. They created no problems for me to deal with on set. Its amazing to see the difference from how far we have come as a unit from first year.

Each day I spent on set I can also say in honesty that it's the first time I have enjoyed being on set. Usually I just like to hide myself away in a dark edit suite where nothing can really go wrong and there is no stress. This shoot was calm and relaxed but still with a strong working drive to it all.

As I said before this was down to the crew working as a team. The shoot never hit any ice bergs on its way from start to finish. It was such a learning curve seeing how we all worked as a team to get things done. Yes the dog wrangler turned out to be more difficult to work with than the actual dog, but we can't say we weren't warned.

So now I have a folder full of receipts and a budget that needs drafting - again. So what can I say other than I have really enjoyed myself on this shoot. I could sit here and try to explain what I have learned and such. But this would be like a dad telling his son various tips for riding a bike, you can't explain it, its really one of those things that you learn by doing.

A windowless room

This is where I suppose I'm supposed to lie for the purposes of blogging, just to get it out the way and to make up various good points and bad.

What can I say? Sitting in a windowless room each day from 9-6 crunching numbers and dealing with things as they come. What else can one aspect whilst producing, but not to go against what I have just said, but it's stressful, having the weight of the film resting on your shoulders. So would I choose to do it again? Yes.

I feel I have learned something new each day, I have made alot of mistakes. But I can say honestly that I have learned from them. This being the first thing I've properly produced, to have everything sorted apart from make-up I feel is not that bad. Worst comes to worse we have a film with shinny faces.

So people choose to do this as a living? to be sat in front of a computer looking at contracts and budgets? Why? Well thats not something I can answer really, theres just something about it that gets you. For one its forced me to get myself organised, I can physically feel my brain working in a more streamline way now. As before it was more just a random mash of thoughts and half thought out ideas.

Budgeting for this film has been my main concern, the dog, actress and travel all take a hefty chunk of that £1000. I am not going to over spend but I still want to come in as much under budget as possible. I'm not seeing the £1000 as money that needs to be spent, I am doing everything in my power to get around everything that will take even just £2 of that budget.

Having a good time? Well ask me that next week, or well after Edinburgh Film Festival when I've had time to relax and get myself silly drunk and watch a bucket load of movies.

I might just have to glue the phone to my head

The first lesson I learned when starting my role as producer is that when someone says 'I'll get back to you' or something similar, its all lies. They won't.

I learned this pretty fast, timidly starting my role I took this to be true from companies I was phoning, to be more exact Casting agencies and Letting agencies. So number one rule of producing? Phone people until they give up. Liz Bisset I'm looking in your direction.

So people who know me, I'm not the most organised person on the face of the planet. But really who is? I think the second rule of producing is making enough people think you know what your doing, I think it's just important to tackle each issue as it occurs, don't take a fit when one small or large thing goes wrong, this doesn't sort anything out.

What has occurred to me during these past few days whilst producing is, that although I'm not an organised person, I feel producing is forcing me to be more organised. I think this is definitely having a positive effect on me. I don't panic when I have to phone someone or deal with paper work. I think it was far to easy just to use not being organised in the past as an excuse for...well being lazy at times.

Another aspect of producing I like is that, well I know whats going on. Being the editor before I didn't really know what the hell was going on with the films. I like being in the know, its also good to have an input into the films. Just from location hunting to sourcing actors, its nice to have some form of input.

What terrified me before in production was budgeting, I really don't know why. I'm not going to say its easy, we shall see how the budget works out first. Although from what I've done so far its relatively straight forward. You get this amount you get this amount, don't like it?...well the art department can have your budget.

So producing? it is much more fun than I thought it would be. I really don't think I have phoned so many people in my life, than I have in these past few days. That was another phobia of mines, being a guy I'm used to short to the point phone calls "Meet you in ten? Yeah sounds good, Bye" Not this chit chatty business. I think I've come on leaps and bounds in terms of my skills of dealing with people over the phone. It's not quite as scary as I thought it was, after all if there rude...you can always just hang-up!

So with one week left before we shoot, I have sorted location (Thanks Charlotte :) we have the homeless man and the dog. Karen Hall is doing a fantastic job with props hunting and sourcing. We have atleast one person wanting to play Jackie. We are auditioning another on Monday (TBC) So we will atleast have some sort of film to show in just over two weeks time, I won't have to put a wig on as I thought I might have to.

So a week of solid producing, I can say it takes up all my time. It can be stressful at times, it means being stuck in a room with now windows all day. But well...you got to love it.

Saving Private Ryan - Editing

“When we look back from the standpoint of history, we can say, ‘Oh yeah, World War II clearly set out the good and bad apart from one another’ but inside combat, the issue is never that clear.”

Speilberg page 45 1998 American Cinematographer interview by Stephen Pizzello

Introduction

This report will focus in its entirety on one particular scene located in chapter 17 the final stages of Steven Spielberg’s WW2 hyperrealism epic 'Saving Private Ryan'

The scene in question is set against the final epilogue of the film. Two opposing soldiers are locked in a brutal life and death battle on the first floor of a French townhouse, the key to over turning this battle is agonisingly meters away in the stairwell to overwhelmed to the climb the last few steps and save his fellow soldier and friend.

(Saving Private Ryan Feature Disc 1, Chapter 17 (02:18:25 - 02:19:27)

After closely studying the scene in question, it has come to light that what makes this scene work is that as soon as Cpl. Timothy enters the french townhouse we are essentially cutting to a new reality.

As soon as Cpl. Timothy takes those first few steps up those ascending steps we are essentially taken to a different dimension, for me this is a short movie within a movie. The story narrows down from a large cast and plot, to just a story of one man and the true bitterness of warfare.

This scene is a very contained scene in relation to all we've seen before. It cuts down to all but three actors, and more importantly three of the lesser know actors. This adds realism to the scene, we can watch it and imagine it to be true.

We aren't looking down the barrel of a gun shooting at distant targets, we are right there beside him with every step he takes. We as the audience are truly taken from 'Hollywood' and shown what war really is and means, man killing his fellow man.

Spielberg set out to this by challenging our perceptions of war,

“We all determined very early on that we wanted to affect people in the nature of war for the first time”

(Steven Spielberg American Cinematographer page 56 December 1998)

Cutting Between Realities

Whats interesting about this scene is how it is cut. If you look closely at the scene you can see we are cutting between two different realties of war, the horrifying killing and also the emotionally destructive aspect. These are two realities we are being presented with running along side each other.

Walter Murch talks about that when a cut is made , we are forced to reevaluate its context. (In the Blink of an Eye, page 6, Published 1995)

This notion can be applied to this scene, in-fact to go even further it's why it works. The reason the scene works, and strips us of our humanity is that we are constantly reevaluating the

Cpl. Timothy's situation in relation to the barbaric fight happening. We see how this, in context, emotionally destroys him.

Its also very similar to the Kuleshov Effect, the framing stays the same but we the audience project our building and changing emotion onto the scene. In retrospective to the new context Pvt.Stanley finds himself in.

(http://faculty.cua.edu/johnsong/hitchcock/pages/kuleshov.html)

To focus more closely on the scene, It came to my attention that each time we cut back to Cpl. Timothy from the carnage happening upstairs, we are forced to wait longer each time. Combined with some clever cinematography they build up tension here.

We cut back to the room.

We stay here for around ten seconds. Then back again

The shot has doubled in size

This last shot we are presented with is made up of a variety of layers. To draw your attention to the left, we cut from upstairs and we as the audience are by now shouting for Timothy to climb the stairs to an obscure shot of his boots. This angle elongates the stairwell and makes it appear much longer than it actually is. This small staircase has become a mountain for Cpl. Timothy.

“I have a concept of who the characters are and where they story is taking us, you then imagine how I can enhance the storytelling through visuals”

(American Cinematographer Kaminski page 32 August 1998)

The second aspect is that in this shot we see Cpl. Timothy cock his gun. This is shown very clearly.

We as the audience are told in no uncertain terms, he can save his friends life. But this just can't be done, Hollywood would dictate that he climbs the stairs and saves his friend. This just isn't what war is made up of, this is its true face.

The fact this shot works so well its raised an issue with me, did we need to see the fight at all? Murch is quoted in saying "Suggestion is always more effective than exposition" Would just seeing Cpl. Timothy crumble whilst only hearing the horrifying truth that his friend faces be enough?

The rhythm of the scene is a balance of power. We first only cut to Cpl.Timothy when Pvt.Stanely is seemingly winning the fight. The second time we cut back to him is when the German Solider is wielding a knife a Stanley's chest. So we really now want Timothy to climb the stairs. So the fact Kahn has chosen to add that extra few beats into this second scene really does build the tension.

"Sometimes you see a picture that an audience will be uncomfortable with. They don't know what it is, but a good editor could look at it and say it's off rhythm, the rhythms have to be changed or massaged a little... Things don't happen when they're supposed to happen rhythmically - even if it's off this much or a beat off - and editors who have been doing it for a while will look for and understand that" (5)

Michael Kahn

The scene does feel as if he has looked at every frame and made his cut exactly where he intended to, and not just around about cut.

Sound Design

Now it would be difficult to look at this scene editing wise with out looking briefly into the sound design of it.

Gary Rydstrom the sound mixer for 'Saving Private Ryan' mentioned that Spielberg didn't want it to sound like Hollywood. This was to add to the realism, Gary was going to have to build up this movies sound design from the ground up starting from scratch.

(Saving Private Ryan Special Features Disc 2 Music and Sound 00:06:47)

In this short shot which lasts nine seconds, we the audience, hear a number of things that adds the extra dimension to the scene.

(Saving Private Ryan Feature Disc 1, Chapter 17 (02:18:56 - 02:18:00)

• Bullets wrapped around his neck jingling
• Sounds of muffled distress
• Cpl. Timothy cock his gun

This is essentially passing us the information that he has the means in which so save him, but the sounds of distress are holding him back like a wall. Its interesting to note that the sounds of battle raging on the street just metres away from him, all but die out when he enters the house.

We are not distracted with any real exterior noises, we hear only what we need to hear and what the editing team wanted us to hear and this in turn forces the audience to draw their full attention to the situation Cpl. Timothy finds himself in.

"It struck me how much sound was part of their memory"

(Gary Rydstrom - Saving Private Ryan, Disc 2 Special Features 00:07:24)

So in conclusion I believe that this has given a clearer and more comprehensive insight into what makes this extremely short scene what it is, and why, and, just as importantly, how this short scene from such a long film added so much weight to the tension whilst highlighting the brutality of war by cleverly combining the editor's experience with every tool an editor requires; cuts, rhythm, pace and sound design.

Bibliography

• “We all determined very early on that we wanted to affect people in the nature of war for the first time” (Steven Spielberg American Cinematographer page 56 December 1998)
• 
  
• “When we look back from the standpoint of history, we can say, ‘Oh yeah, World War II clearly set out the good and bad apart from one another’ but inside combat, the issue is never that clear.” (Speilberg page 45 1998 American Cinematographer interview by Stephen Pizzello)
• 
  
• Walter Murch talks about that when a cut is made , we are forced to reevaluate its context. (In the Blink of an Eye, page 6, Published 1995)
• 
  
• (Saving Private Ryan Special Features Disc 2 Music and Sound 00:06:47)
• (Saving Private Ryan Feature Disc 1, Chapter 17 (02:18:25 - 02:19:27)
• (Saving Private Ryan Feature Disc 1, Chapter 17 (02:18:56 - 02:18:00)
• 
  
• "It struck me how much sound was part of their memory" (Gary Rydstrom - Saving Private Ryan, Disc 2 Special Features 00:07:24)

• 5 (http://www.editorsguild.com/v2/magazine/Newsletter/kahn.html) Accessed 20-1-10
• 
  
• “I have a concept of who the characters are and where they story is taking us, you then imagine how I can enhance the storytelling through visuals” (American Cinematographer Kaminski page 32 August 1998)
• 
  
• (http://faculty.cua.edu/johnsong/hitchcock/pages/kuleshov.html) Accessed on 12-2-10
  
  
  
  

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Directed by Mark Herman

A story of a son of a high-ranking SS solider, his world is turned upside down when they are forced to move because of his fathers work. The adventurous boy unhappy with his new confined surrounding sneaks out and into the woods, were it becomes apparent what his fathers work in tales. The young boy meets a young jewish boy living on the other side of a barbed fence and begin a friendship that will have startling consciences.

I found this movie to be a really good watch, what I'm beginning to see is that european films do put alot more effort into the character arcs than Hollywood. From 'The Lives of Others' and this movie the characters felt more real than any Hollywood movie I can recall. Its clearly someones's story and they don't distract you with irrelevant casting and plotting, what I'm trying to say is that I am very aware of who's story it is when watching these types of films, than if I was watching a Hollywood piece I could struggle to point out who's story it really was.

Another point would be that I have fallen in love with the style of these films. Every frame is a joy to look at, every detail really has been thought about and put into practice. It all somehow doesn't seem as forced, I'm never really made to feel like I am watching a film. It amerces you into the world they are telling, we don't get sweeping crane shots and such, its simple and very well thought out. Every camera shot really does tell you who's scene it is, were not distracted with a hundred and one other things happening at the same time.

The characters felt abit odd speaking with posh english accents, maybe a ploy to give it more audience appeal. I still would have liked to see it done properly with German, this is the only thing that ever took me out of the film. Maybe a compromise worth living with? not too sure.

Another thing is, I think some of the dialog somewhat seemed like it was preaching to us. Yes its telling a story of humanity and such. It needs to do this, but I did become aware to the almost to forward pushy dialog stating morals. I think it should have trusted the audience a little more and just let the visuals do this.

Apart from this a fantastic well thought out plot that really does play with your emotions, I was never all to aware what was going to happen next. Maybe the family parts left a little by the roadside at parts, but I understand it was the boys story.

I did really enjoy this movie but felt the ending was just a tad predictable, I had clicked on to what was going to happen a long time from the finish. It didn't really take the emotional punch away from it, but maybe if they had not shown their hand as soon. I have in my head a way to re-cut the ending that would do this, but I'd ruin it by saying how.

Over-all a good watch, very visually beautiful, characters felt real even with the odd accents. Maybe just a touch more perl or startling scenes were needed. But this is just a thousand and one ways they could have shot the film. An excellent watch just from its cinematography and story arc.

Das Leben der Anderen (2006) or 'The lives of others' to me and you

Okay so I haven't seen very many european films of recent, but if this film is anything to go by then I shall certainly try.

I have my own way of rating a film, as I'm sure many others will do the same. I will always judge if it was a good watch if I walk away and think 'I'm buying the DVD' This is why I certainly don't own any bad DVD's *cough* Yeah okay 'Terminator Salvation' has managed to creep into my collection somehow. I think HMV uses mind control in their shop, you go into buy one DVD and you come out with about five.

'A GDR Captain is given an assignment to spy on a scholar, who has an enemy in the form of a Minister desperate to destroy him. This dedicated Captain is forced to evaluate his views and beliefs in the GDR as he begins to see what it is doing to innocent ordinary people'

So this feature film directed by 'Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck' (Yes I cut and pasted that) was certainly a breath of fresh air to watch. Its just a shame more movies like these don't get made, solid characters with a strong backbone of a storyline. My first impressions were of that I really liked how we were challenged at first on which characters to like. We started off watching one of out main cast interrogating and some might say torturing a help-less man. Yet somehow he was still likeable, but so was the intellectual script writer he was chosen to spy on.

Instead of us the audience struggling on who to pin our dislike onto, the movie gave us our release in the form of 'Christa-Maria Sieland' she is never really protruded as an evil person, but there defiantly was just something that didn't sit quite right with her. I think this did give the movie balance, we had to strong characters each fighting there own battles and it would have been a shame if we were forced into choosing one over the other.

I have to go back to Richards screenwriting classes in were he always preached 'Know your characters as if they were a living person' Know whats in their fridge, what they read and just all these little quirks that make a character. Yes the majority of this will never be shown on screen, but I think it definitely showed that the screenwriter knew these characters like the back of his hand.



So the plot strand was interesting, we have been discussing parallel narratives in some of Zams classes. I initially clocked the plot as doing this, but at some point it became something else. It was interweaved, it wasn't two separate narratives but one, it was just shown from different perspectives. I don't think I have ever seen this type of storytelling before, but it was very interesting to watch, although I feel its something not to be attempted unless you really know your stuff.

This movie didn't so much try and hook you straight away, it knew what it was doing and gave you the time to slip into it at your own pace. It had patience and was quietly confident in what it was doing and knew it didn't have to rush into anything to quickly.

Its that human element, those little details that made this film believable and feel undoubtably real. This is what drew me in from the off set.

From watching a few short european films in Adam's class and Richards class last year, its clear to see the unique cinematography used in modern european film. Its those contrasting white edges comprised with monotone colour schemes, it looks and feels reel, but never strays into that 'It looks to real' dimension. It's well 'cardboard box' colours, you are never really presented with contrasting colours unless there is a clear reason for it being used. This is what I feel added that extra dimension to the film that let us concentrate on the characters and really feel the blandness of life under the 'GDR'



I know to give a proper balanced review I must now point out flaws of the film, I know in recent reviews I have raved about the films and it must seem like I can't properly deconstruct films. So just to be picky, I'm not sure if they properly built up any real danger in the film. I didn't really ever feel like the scholar was in any real danger, even under surveillance. I knew he'd be locked up for a long time if caught, but I don't think they quite went far enough to make the bad guys, well the bad guys.

I think this was due to the fact it was one of our main characters 'Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler' who was surveilling him, and well we had already been made to like him. That is just being picky, a little more peril would have been interesting.


Over-all a fantastic watch.

Your still Alive...Kinda

Yeah so I have been neglecting you somewhat blogger, I admit this and I'm sorry. If theres anyway I can make it up to...Chocolates?...yeah overdone I know...how about a post?

So what term are we on now? This has all been going past so fast I seriously loose count on what day it is sometimes. So to start of we have had a few classes with Barbara before she jetted of to Australia. I loved her first class as we were discussing show ideas then somehow we got side tracked onto ITV. This discussion soon turned out to be a full blown debate on how shocking ITV really is.

I personally hate ITV and it gave me a chance to let off some steam on this issue. Yes drama's are expensive to make, but do you really think making the shows BBC and Channel4 are making but with half the budget is the answer? No not really, ITV you are a tacky, cheap, boring, dull TV station. If I could be bothered I would look up a thesaurus to find more words for terrible.

You used to have some class, you stood proudly between BBC and Channel4. You had your own style and you were proud of it, this is the only time I remember watching ITV. I went through a phase during High School were in I watched next to none TV, then one day I tuned back in.

I was blown away by how far you had dropped down in the world in those few short years, someone with photoshop had given use a cheap looking new 3D logo, trying to be trendy but failing miserably. The schedule was one of the same programme formats as BBC and Channel4 but with the most idiotic twist. Case and point 'Come Dine With Me' but instead of going home at the end of the night, they stay the night? Really?...seriously? BBC's 'Strictly Come Dancing' but with ice, now come one that really takes the biscuit.

ITV you once stood on the shoulders of giants, but sadly to say you are firmly in the gutter bathing in the sweat of giants feet, desperately clawing at scarps. You really wonder why use are struggling to attract revenue money? no one likes a copycat and no one certainly doesn't like a cheap copycat. It's like when some brand like 'Technika' releases an MP3 player that is a plain rip off, of the iPod. You are never going to be as sexy and as cool as that, just be yourself, bring back the drama!



Don't even get me started on ITV2, if you don't have enough decent programmes for your flagship station you shouldn't have three digital ones.

Deep Breaths...Deep Breaths...The Royal Mail Boss taking ITV over!...*Puts head in hands*

So developing TV ideas with Adam, It was good to get back to actually creating some TV ideas. To actually put into practice what we had been learning in class, such as devices and storylining .

Its one thing thinking you have a good idea, but does it fit what the broadcasters are after? As with Barbara's class it has been shown that the briefs given out by the BBC and such don't really themselves have a full understanding what they want. 'Something funny like that show....scrubs' Yeah...something serious...that...urm...will be successful!

It's strange to think back to when I was a kid, when I watched something that wasn't all that good on TV. I always thought 'Oh it must just be me that doesn't like it' I always thought you know that these big institutions knew what they were doing and if they made something I didn't like, then I was the only one that didn't like it.

Now that I'm older and having been given the chance to look firmly into the practices of these broadcasts. It really is astonishing how much it is just 'The blind leading the blind' Not one of the TV stations seems to have a clue what we the audience want. As soon as one format is moderately successful they all jump onto the format like a pack of hungry wolves. So we end up seeing four spin-offs, of some dancing show.

Its all just become to much about money, money. How can we make more of the stuff, what format will bring us in more money. This approach I feel has been at the route cause of the lack of powerful, fresh, daring and dare I say it engaging TV drama or Doc's.

We see broadcasters such as the BBC buying American Drama, such as 'The Wire' Yes this show is brilliance in every way. A show that can have an entire dialog piece were in they only say 'Mother Fucker' and we still know entirely what they are really saying to each other, and what they are thinking. This is a show I love, but I can't help feel just a little cheated the BBC buying it in. It's not really for them to show, its for one of the satellite channels that shows these American shows, such as HBO.


Paying TV License money for them to just buy a pre-made product just doesn't feel right. This is money that should have been used for a TV drama that could rival such a show.

I really think these broadcasters need to wake up, yes these are uncertain times. Yes there is a war going on were in hundreds are dyeing. Yes the world climate seems to be nose diving into uncertainty. So its understandable why they are maybe just a little scared to offend anyone or cause panic with any daring TV drama or Doc. They tried something moderately daring with 'Survivors' but at some stage the PC man got his red pen out, and we were left with a show that just preaches family values and trust in one another that we can al save each other.




This is a show that had the chance to challenge our views on alot of different subject matters. Such as how close we all are to really turning on ourselves. How much power does the Government really have, we trust in them to protect us, but really they are just as helpless as the rest of us.

I'm just completely shocked at how bad UK TV really has nose dived over the years. All the TV drama sitting on my shelf is American born and bred. So TV license man, if you are reading this, and I really hope you are. I have not watched ANY TV what so ever in the past year since my License ran out. So don't you even dare say I need to buy another one. Keep your empty threats to yourself.

___


So Essays and deadlines, trips to distant libraries. It almost feel like we are at University, as much as that feeling made me feel all studenty and such. This is something that really has worn off on me. I would much prefer to go back to being 'creative' and sitting in booths all day.

Ray's and Richards work has been sealed and handed in, wether they are any good is yet to be seen. I do have alot more faith in this script than I did in my last one, it does feel like it has far more of a structure and theme attached for good measure. Wether the board with have issue with the helicopter chase and the sword fight is yet to be seen, I'm just kidding...nah seriously I'm really not joking...

Rays essay was actually an interesting look in the work of cinematographers, even if it did feel someone like we were being duped into picking this as a specialism next year. It was interesting to see the creative process behind some of the smallest of detail in a scene. Also it was fascinating so delve into the close professional relationships that a Director and DP share. This makes sense to use the same DP you know and trust to deliver each time, but it had never occurred to me just how much a director will use the same DP.

When we were first posed with the task of finding such a relationship, my initial thought was one of 'christ, how am I going to do that' but a quick look on IMDB showed me just how many of these relationships exist. I can say with out looking away, that I do have a far more understanding of what the role of a DP is and how very important it is. *Cough* sorry been feeling a little ill recently.

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The keys to the Kingdom.

So we had John York back into speak to us about internet drama. The talked kicked of with a debate about why internet drama is still yet so very bad, and what can be done to make it better, and yes make money of it. It was posed to us that the person who does find the formula to make money of this will be one very lucky person.

Now let me pose a question, does the kingdom actually exist? I am inclined to say 'No' a very big no at that. The reason is hasn't worked and won't work is that it doesn't have a place on the internet. Internet drama will always be those 5/10 minute pieces, tell me who will wait a week to see just another 5 minutes of drama, and well a probably badly made drama at that.
Secondly you aren't going to make money of it because well, we have grown up with the internet being built on the foundation that its a 'free flowing' stream of information and connections. You can't suddenly turn around and start asking for money, it just isn't going to happen. Wether its £2, £1, 10p or 5p parting with money is still spending money at the end of the day. I just feel a bunch of rather old men have gathered around a table somewhere to discuss this new 'internet' thing, and how they can make some $$$ out of it.

John himself said its not going to be something his generation will solve, but I feel even with ours its less likely to happen. What I feel is that as soon as TV's catch up and start being able to connect to the internet in ways a PC can do, then they will stop loosing money. As soon as a viewer can get all of his or hers media in the one place then and only then will the kingdom exist any shape or form. It's almost like asking us to know what the next week lottery numbers will be, yes it holds vast amounts of money, but well it hasn't happened yet. We are all sitting on the cusp of something big. Phones are catching up, we are seeing the birth of Slate devices such as the iPad and the HP version, we are seeing the first few internet enabled TV sets. There will be no money to be made in any great amount until this ecosystem is born and connected, until I can universally access any and all media from the any one device will there be any money.


Apple proved this with the iPhone App store, until they came along there was no money to be made here. But Apple came along created an ecosystem were in these things have a central place to live and evolve and more importantly, they can be transferred onto multiple devices.

So until there exists such an universal ecosystem will the TV people be seeing any $$$ in their eyes. Sorry...we just aren't there yet, one has to walk before we can run.


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This is England

Okay so last weeks screen This is England was a really nice surprise watch.

The film by Shane Meadows (2006) was a look into British realism such as films from the French new wave 400 Blows. This was very much its British cousin in every sense.

The film itself rotated around a young boy Shaun, not a very much liked boy at his local school. Shaun almost sliding into isolation after his father being killed in the Falklands war is picked up by a local group of children who take him under his wing.
Not at first entirely fitting in at first but eventually becoming as thick as thieves with these bandits of misfits themselves.

All is golden, the band of misfits have their fun by generally doing what they want and going where the wind takes them, until the status quo is suddenly and dramtically changed with the return of Combo played by Stephen Graham.

Things are literally turned on their heads when Combo returns from a prison stretch. He returns with a radical ideology of how Britain is being over run with immigrants and people of colour. The fun loving group are split down the middle as they are forced to question their morals and values as Combo makes them decide what team they are playing for.

Shaun is quilted into banding up with Combo and his group of thugs, he is led down a road that eventually shows him the true volatile nature of Combo and his ideology.

The film was fantastic from start to finish, it was funny, good hearted and also had a very real, very hard hitting under-running plot. It gave enough relief in just the right amounts in just the right places through out the film. Even with the film tackling racism and such we were never taken to far down this bleak road with out the pressure cap being released a few times.

This is a mistake I feel these types of film seem to make and well its a mistake. Yes you are setting out to make a hard hitting film that forces a culture or group of people to view itself in the mirror. Yes you want to raise some very valid points and such but making the audience suffer to much by being too bleak all the time doesn't work. We as an audience are at first effected by this but as soon as it just becomes a situation of and this sounds very harsh but it becomes almost like "I just don't care anymore, this is too much"

What this is England done very well is mix in with its very hard hitting and bleak plot was comical relief moments and light hearted tone. This means when we are faced with characters having to make difficult decisions or a moral value being thrown at you, it works all that more because we are still engaged and connected with the film. Films that are bleak, bleak and more bleakness are just too much to watch. Every time I watch a film like that I can just picture a man with a really big axe cutting the connection with the film and the audience.

Overall I thought the plot was engaging and dare I say it fun at times, every character were real and most of them likeable. The unlikable characters were intentionally unlikeable which really did add a nice dynamic to the piece. It was a surprise to me how much I liked this film. I have to say the title This is England when I heard it the scottish blood in me did begin to boil somewhat. I thought I was going to be hit with English values and such, it never really made a big deal of England, it was more Britain in general. The title did put me off watching it before so maybe a bad title decision...maybe not for me to judge really.

The Road

So another post-apocalyptic film release, now not saying I'm not a fan of these style of films, but recently it just seems like an excuse to throw is some sweeping CG shots.

From just even looking at the trailer for 'The Road' directed by John Hillcoat is was obvious this was something that wasn't going to follow this trend. Yes we get the odd CG shot to establish they are living in this type of world but the rest really is done by character depth and the cinematography of the film.

Now the basis of the story is a boy and his 'papa' on the road trying to survive in a dying world. They can trust no one apart from themselves as this world has turned most people into cannibals and thieves.

I think from about ten minutes into the film I was just amazed at how amazing this film really was, we had barely started on the journey in the film and the characters felt real with plenty of depth and well the plot felt raw and real. The story was so self contained around these two characters but as a member of the audience I never felt bored or felt like I needed more from this film. Yes it did seem odd that they came across very few refugee's at times but that is just being extremely picky.

I felt the cinematography of this film did make this film what it is, watching it you just felt cold. I felt like jumping into a hot bath at the end of the film. The bland muddy colours with the constant grey skies which gradually got darker and darker over time really did add that extra dimension to this film. If it had just been father and son traveling down this road with blue skies and the sun on their faces, well lets jut not even go there.

This film was a film I had to build myself up to go and see, from what other people said about it destroying them emotionally. I could never find a day were in I was ready to be taken apart in such a manner. Who really wants to be put in a downer after a day at university or work? Not me to be sure.

Me and Paul just decided to go for it in the end, and what I can say is yes its a very bleak no relief style of film. But its very strange although its bleak from start to finish we are never really taken to that level of shear emotional destruction. You could argue we are at times in the movie taken to this level, but its very fast at taking us back to normal bleak-ness we as the audience are never made to suffer too long at any great length. This adds the tension the film has done so very well, if it was just scene after scene of them being in danger the risk well wears off on us. We become desensitised that we can just sit back and know they are going to be fine, the fact this film only puts them into real pearl a few times makes this tension work so much more effectively.

Some might say this is a bad thing? no is the answer. Then all you are left with is a film obviously trying to hard and it becomes one of those films you look at and think, they only made this film to scoop a few awards. The story of just these two characters living day by day is enough, its real and helps you connect alot more with them, its not all 'oh the drama' in every second scene.

Its believable and well down right brilliance, it really makes 'The book of The Bible...sorry Eli' have I just ruined that for you? oh wells! Don't throw your religious propaganda film at me in a convert manner!

Anyways! back to the point, a brilliant film with some really award winning performances put into it, a plot that rings true with no obvious flaws to it. Well they had to fund the movie some how, they wrote in the coke placement as well as anyone could really.

I think the characters of the father and son really did just feed of one another, I loved the little touches such as the little boy wearing his mothers hat. Its just the little things like this that made this film what it is. They felt real and you really did feel empathy for the father and how he constantly needs to be on the ball to look after his son. One mistake and they are done for, you really do get a sense for this in his performance. You really did feel like he has been looking after this boy for a number of years and has had to protect him from this world on more than one occasion. Yes the little boys 'weeping' does become rather irritating and times, but only very rarely.

Now flaws...After walking away knowing I had seen an amazing picture, I did feel somewhat empty in the fact that I didn't really feel like I had been taken on a big enough journey. We know they are heading to the cost but we only see the map once. You never really get a sense of were they are really heading to at any one time. They are constantly on the move but, well I just didn't get that entire feeling of being on a journey.

This was my only real problem with the film. Not a real good sense of film geography during this movie, I felt I needed to know more where they were and how far away from the coast they were, so in those moments of pearl and such you can get extra feeling of 'But their so close!' This can be over looked just from the rest of the film being something really special, now theres a word I haven't used to describe a film before. Special?

Watch it, see for youself how cinema should be made. I counted all of about 3/4 CG shots in the entire movie and it felt more like the end of the world than any post-apocalyptic move I have ever seen by a mile...and a half...and three quarters.

The Snow is gone people!

The snow is gone and I am loving it personally, being able to venture out into town or the Academy with out tip toeing the whole way there because the council doesn't understand the concept of not owning a car!

Anyways I could really blog about how much I dislike snow and how over-rated the whole thing is but we'd be here all day.

Were back from the holidays and already a week has shot by us, where are these weeks going? I feel like I'm going to wake up and be in 3rd year any day soon. Now theres a scary thought, actually having to go out and get a real job soon! No more student discount...thats not even worth thinking about, I might just faint. Anyways!

This week has been a mixture of getting back into the swing of things whilst at the same time being thrown alot of work to do. Its all rather worrying about thinking about starting either of the tasks that we have been set. I'm sure once I have started them both it will be fine, but as with all reports the hardest part is actually finding the time and confidence to actually start it.

We had all submitted our scripts to Richard the week before we started back and were awaiting the Skype phone call. As last time mines didn't work this was going to be new to me. I went along to Gavin's flat to use his computer/internet this time, the video had worked for Charlotte perfectly fine just before me, but for some reason it didn't for me. I'm not going to lie I didn't particularly shout for Gavin all that loudly when it didn't. The idea of being on 'display' would make me feel a little okward, having just the audio was fine, it was high enough quality to get by. It also made me feel alot more comfortable so I wasn't just sitting there saying 'yeah...yeah' to all Richards points. I actually found myself sticking up for a few points and explaining others alot better than in any other Richard tutorial.

Not in anyway saying I just wasn't taking on board what Richard was saying but I was able to explain points better, and well I did stick up for my ending. I will look at it and see if it can be explained better but its staying!

Zam was back for a full day of looking at realism in film. Zam's class always follows a general format of looking at a clip from a film then deconstructing it. This format I feel works very well and we all generally pitch in with what we think made that clip work and not work. I feel it gives a certain rhythm to the class that makes it feel alot more relaxed, theres nothing worse than just being talked to for a whole day.

As with all Zams classes I feel I always take away new good and valuable points from it. Maybe a whole day was a little much but if it was going to be a full day of any class I would prefer it to be a Zams class.



Now with Andy's and Ray's assignment I choose to go to the Mitchell Library to try and dig up some resources that could help. Such as autobiographies and the type. I was really shocked to find just how little film resources the Mitchell actually has, I would type in film and/or cinematography into the computer terminal and what little turned up was book that wasn't actually in the Mitchell.

Maybe I was doing it all wrong but the woman at the desk could only suggest looking at small area of the library, which only seemed to contain books written when the digital thing was happening. Books titles 'Digital and what it means for Film' were in abundance but they weren't of any value of and were seriously out-dated.

Looks like this is going to be an online research task, or well a little trip to a book shop is in order I think.


Well my feet really haven't touched the group this week and with re-drafting Richard's script and starting on other projects we have been set, sorry no film review in this post I need to get ready for work. I promise tomorrow I will blog my brains out on films films films!