Across the Universe: Mise En Scene

How does the mise en scene give you clues about what will be happening next in the film Across the Universe?

We continued watching Across the Universe in this lesson, starting with the "I Want You" scene.  In this scene, Max is wearing black and this is implying that he will soon be joining the U.S. army to fight in the Vietnam war. The film did not use dialogue to tell us that Max is joining the army, but instead the audience could tell through the set dressing and costumes. You can see a large amount of soldiers and Max is being carried into a 'room' which has the words "United States Army". Moreover, another clue is the costume of the guy on the poster. He wears the colours red, blue and white - which represents the United States, and that particular part of him is shot from a low angle, suggesting that he is powerful and Max is forced to obey and be controlled by him (the U.S. government). Max and the other chosen men are carrying the Statue of Liberty as giants and stamping into a tropical forest with tiny palm trees (one of Vietnam's geographical feature). The difference between the size of the Americans the the Vietnam palm trees portrays that the Americans are proud about themselves, however they are treated as slaves as they are only wearing their underwear. This again indicates the the U.S. will soon be having a war with Vietnam, and Max would be part of the U.S. army. 

Another scene that I would like to talk about is "Strawberry Fields Forever"- one of the most memorable and impressive scenes in the movie. The colour and lighting used in this scenes give us clues about what might be happening next. There is light on only half of Jude's face, telling the audience that we don't fully know about him and something bad associated with him is likely to occur. We can see him expressing his emotions - anger through the color (Red) of the strawberries. Red in this scene is also representing blood and violence - which is what is occurring in the Vietnam war. Color and lighting is excellently used in this scene to tell the audience the emotions of the characters and what is happening in the film. 

Aurelia Thomas - Location Scouting | Across the Universe - Location

Aurelia Thomas, the location manager of one of the most well-known movies of all time - Harry Potter, came to our school this week and gave us a talk about her location scouting experience. The location manager mentioned that she needed to go to a lot of locations and took many images before choosing one that best fits the film and meets what the director asked for. When I heard that she spent 2 months to scout locations for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, I was very surprised that location scouting actually requires such a great amount of time. I was also shocked that the high cost of the locations. Moreover, when choosing the best location, a lot of details need to be considered, such as cost, logistics convenience and weather conditions. Once the best location is found, the location scout crew would also need to find a backup location just in case of any unexpected situations. This reminded me of what happened during the Westerns units. My group had to find another location immediately because the auditorium (the original location) was occupied. If we had found a backup location in advance, we wouldn't be in such a rush. Another thing that Aurelia Thomas mentioned is that one scene may actually be filmed in several different locations, but the audience wouldn't be able to tell because different camera angles were applied. 

We spent the other half of the class watching the film Across the Universe and when watching, I often wonder whether the scene was filmed in a studio set or live location. In the "Come Together" scene of Across the Universe, Jojo, the guitar player, walks on the street. From what I observed, I think that this scene is filmed in an actual location, since there are so many shops on the street and also graffiti painted on the walls. It would simply be impossible for the film crew to build such a huge but detailed set as it would cost way too much and take too much time. There were also buildings in this scene, so it is definitely filmed in an actual location. In fact, I have done some research and the scene is actually filmed on streets in Manhattan and there is an actual cafe named "Cafe Huh?", the place where Jojo finds his work in the film.

After Aurelia Thomas' talk, I understood that it is definitely not an easy task to produce films professionally - even location scouting takes a lot of time and effort. Her talk made me appreciate films even more. 

Across the Universe Screening

Our second unit of Year 9 focuses on Musicals. Musicals are films that involve singing, usually accompanied by dancing as well. Music plays a very important role in musicals, as they help with developing the story of the film. Lyrics in songs support the storyline of the film and gives the audience information. Some popular and well-known musical films include The Sound of Music (1965), Les Misérables (2012) and numerous Disney films such as The Lion King (1994) and The Little Mermaid (1989).

Across the Universe (2007) - directed by Julie Taymor 

Q. How does the mise en scene indicate the time period in the film? Give specific examples.

During class, our teacher showed us the first half of "Across the Universe", a musical film produced in 2007 and directed by Julie Taymor. One of the most significant features of "Across the Universe" is the powerful effect of its mise en scène. The costumes, props and setting gives the audience information about the time period in the film in an indirect way.

I would like to first talk about the the second scene, in which cross-cutting, an editing technique is applied, showing and comparing two couples dancing in two different locations. From observing what the first couple in a senior prom is wearing - the girl wearing a frilly, spaghetti-strap formal dress and white gloves, similar to what other girls in the area are wearing, and the guy wearing a tuxedo, the audience can tell that the film is set in the 1960s since the costumes that the girls are wearing were fashionable during that period of time. The film then moves to another location - an underground club, where the second couple is dancing. Again the costume of the girl gives us a clue about the time period. She is wearing a leopard-print top and in the 1960s, animal prints were popular for women. Another element in this scene tells us that the film is set in the 1960s as well - the props. The 1960s were considered to be the start of the muscle cars era, and in the film, the US couple leaves the prom and travels home in a muscle car.

The next scene that I would like to talk about is the cheerleading scene, where a girl is singing to express her feelings towards the head cheerleader. Her costume tells the audience that the film is situated in the 1960s as well. She is wearing a knee-length skirt and a long sleeve sweater which has the school letter "W" placed in the centre. We know that the letter placed in the centre is the school letter because in one of the shots, it shows the word "Wildcats" in the background. This was what the cheerleading uniforms were like in the 1960s. Shorter skirts became popular at that time, replacing the overly long skirts worn before for moving more easily.

Last but not least, in the scene where a bunch of guys are hanging out in the dorm, the set dressing gives a huge clue about the time period of the film as well. For example, there was a picture of Brigitte Bardot hung on the wall in the background. Brigitte Bardot was one of the most well-known sex symbols of the 1960s. With a picture of her in the background, it is very obvious that the film is set in the 1960s. 

In Across the Universe, each and every detail in the film gives information about the film. Some may not be very noticeable, but by paying close attention, the audience would be able to tell the time period of the film easily. 

Progress Journal: Editing our film

When we finished shooting on the Beach on Monday, it was already 6 o'clock. Tung Tung and I went back to school to edit our film since the due date for our film was originally Tuesday (but it was then postponed). We captured the footage and dragged the clips into the timeline. The film was roughly finished, but there was no audio and the sound quality was poor.

When editing on the next few days, I discovered that the drama studio setting didn't really look like a fair sideshow and the audience would misunderstand and think it is a desert. It didn't really look as realistic as it would be in the auditorium. I also learnt new editing skills through online tutorials and by exploring the softwares. We had poor lighting and sounds, but I managed to improve the lighting by adjusting the colour of the clips and the sounds by using music for covering up and adjusting the volume. Another obstacle is that you can see the ocean and buildings in the frame. I tried to crop those parts out, but unfortunately, it didn't work for the buildings, which affected the overall realism of the setting in our film. The film turned out to be a lot better with improved audio and improved lighting. 

Artistic Response: Response to 2 other group's films

When I was watching my group's film on the large screen, not only did memories of us planning, filming and editing came flowing back into my mind, but I also realised that there is plenty of room for improvement. There were problems with the setting. In the beach scenes, the modern buildings could be easily noticed. Also, the sound quality was one of the major problems of our film. It was poor, as sounds of the waves could even be heard, even though music was applied. Other sound problems in our film include sudden rises and drops in the audio and music covering the dialogue. We should've cut out or fade some of the sounds and do some voiceovers to ensure that the watching experience would be more smooth and that the audience would hear the dialogue and understand what is going on in the film. Nevertheless, the audience found that the music applied to the beach scenes to be very suitable and well chosen. 

All 3 other group's films were enjoyable and each had their own plot and style, but there were 2 that were more memorable and inspiring. The first one was the film "High Noon". I think that what made their film stood out is the use of filters and the setting. They applied beige-coloured / old-looking filters,  and it changes the entire atmosphere of the film. It's mysterious and tense, and with their excellent setting, their film is realistic and captivates the audience. I also enjoyed how they used different camera shots and angles in their film, such as the pan shot and over the shoulder shot. I think that compared to this group, the camera shots used in my group's film aren't as sophisticated. I was the camera operator and it is usually too fast, too slow, too wobbly or there are a few abrupt stops when I tried to do a pan shot. Just like how the over the shoulder shot was used in the shooting scene of "High Noon", it can also be used in the shooting scene of our film as well, as it gives the audience a clearer idea about who the shooter is. However, they had a problem with an eyeline match, which was something that I just discovered about today. The characters were looking at the same direction, which made it a bit confusing, affecting the perception of the audience. The second film that inspired me was "Revenge". First of all, they also did a pan shot and their camera was very stable, unlike what happened when I attempted to do a pan shot. The hip shots of the characters taking out their guns were excellently used and shot. Also, their gun shot wound was realistic, but it was confusing when the lighting suddenly turns darker when the cowboy comes in with the wound in his ankle. I think they should add more close up shots of the characters' faces perhaps to show their emotions and hatred towards each other. Music should also be applied as the film was a bit dull without music. Overall, both of their films were very enjoyable and captivating.

Notes on Western Films

High Noon

- Different filters were used (old-ish, beige-ish - makes it look very western)

- Camera panning was good - it follows the character who was walking 

- Good audio / music but it was a bit too soft 

- Used different camera shots / angles 

- Realistic gun shot 

- Shooting scene - over the shoulder

- Nice location - it was very realistic and looks western 

- The atmosphere was mysterious - grab people's attention 

- At the beginning the story was a bit unclear. I did not know why the guy got killed - story  was incomplete until the dialogue started 

- More medium closeups of dramatic moments when the girl got saved 

- Eyeline match: Actors should be looking at each other as it affects the perception of the audience . Both characters were looking at the same direction - confusing 

The Dark Side of Baseball

- Westernize a baseball movie 

- Music should be added in the front 

- In one of the shots, they should show the characters' shoulder instead of head because it looks like someone's thumb. 

- Chinese painting in the background? 

- Can't understand what the person in the phone is saying 

- Tracking shot: When the camera was following the character it was a bit too close - camera was wobbly, not stable 

- The girl's voice was too soft at the end - can't hear what she said 

- Costumes were nice, looked western (except for the waitress)

- Gun shot: should use fake blood - unrealistic without blood 

- The story was really interesting but sounds were not clear 

The Memory

- Bad lighting - very dark 

- Bad sounds at the start - sound of waves 

- Modern buildings noticeable 

- More camera shots/angles can be used 

Feedback from audience: 

Good music - used well (music on beach scene) 

Sound editing: should cut / fade some sounds, sudden drop - makes watching experience less smooth 

"haha i tricked you" cheesy line 

Some scenes were blurred, some of the talking were too soft - should do voiceover 

Shooting gets more sophisticated

Different camera angles should've been used  

Big risk: drama studio projector - shadow was shown - could've projected at a different angle / use lighting 

Revenge

- Nice panning shot, camera was very stable 

- Costumes looked western

- Money looked fake though (because its colourful) but the gunshot wound was very realistic 

- Sudden change in colour / lighting - it was very dark and suddenly bright again - confusing

- Music should be added 

- Doing pushups / running suddenly? why is he practicing - confusing 

- Nice shot of taking out gun - close up on hip 

- Great camera angles / shots, but more close up shots should be added

Progress Journal: Western Film Final Shooting

During last weekend, our group sent more than 25 emails to each other, talking about when we should be shooting the other incomplete half of our film. We did not get much of the shooting process done during mid-term break, even though it was the best time for us to get it done since our schedules were more flexible. Since one of our group members wasn't free to film during the weekend, we made an immediate change in our plan. The only thing we could do is film the auditorium scenes during break and lunch on Monday and then film on the beach after school. The deadline was very close and we knew that we don't have much time left. It was crystal clear that we did not manage our time well. Since we had to film after school, I had to make a choice to not attend badminton training.

On Monday, our last filming day, things did not turn out to be very pleasant. Many sudden changes were made. The auditorium, which was where we were going to shoot our fair sideshow scenes, was being occupied by some music instruments, as there was going to be a music recital after school on that day. Not only did we 'lose' our filming location, our director, who had some of the props, was sick and did not come to school until lunch, so we didn't have all the props that we need for filming. Our director came back at lunch and we had to film everything after school. One of the major sudden changes was the location for the fair sideshow scenes. As I mentioned before, we could not use the auditorium, so we went to the drama studio on the 4th floor instead. 

In the drama studio, we planned to shoot for around an hour to make sure that there will be enough time for us to shoot on the beach. There were some black blocks in the studio, and we find them to be very useful for building a tiny "stage" for our scene. The set dressing (eg. the backdrop) in the drama studio ended up looking decent, but if it was in the auditorium it would have been better. Before we started shooting, I almost forgot to turn off the air conditioner, as they were making loud noises that would affect the audio of our film. Also, the microphone cord was in the way of the camera, but luckily I found that out after a short time. After an hour of filming in the drama studio, we quickly headed towards Stanley beach. The sun began to set while the sky gets darker, so the quality of lighting in our film was very bad. We lost one of our props - the Old West star badge, and had to remake a new one immediately. The deadline for the film was originally Tuesday (the day after our final shooting day), so Tung Tung and I hurried back to school to edit our film. 

After this experience, I think that our group could have done a lot better, but we had extremely poor organization (time management as one of the main issues). I think that our production plan was not detailed enough. The dates and time weren't specific or accurate, as not everyone is sure if they are actually free or not on that day. What our group did was plan when we would film a few days before the shoot, and suddenly cancel the shoot because someone was not free. Therefore, not everyone in our team is able to make sacrifices and postpone / not attend their activities since they all have their own plans. We were very unorganized and what we actually did was not similar to our original plan at all. We didn't have a clear detailed plan and we were rushing to finish shooting our film, so many minor details were overlooked. I found out that each and every detail is very important (even the minor ones), not only in the planning process, but also during the shoot. For example, the air conditioners. If we didn't turn them off, I am sure that the audio of our film would be terrible. The lighting of our film was not that good and I realized that I made a huge mistake afterwards - I didn't reset the white balance after we turned off the lights in the drama studio. Thus, everything appeared to be very dark in our film. I think that I could have done a better job in the planning process and I am quite disappointed in myself. Nonetheless, I learnt a lot through this experience. I would be more attentive when making plans to avoid mistakes. 

Q. How could my original storyboard helped me prepare as a production designer?

Q. How could my original storyboard helped me prepare as a production designer?

Storyboards play one of the most important roles in production design. They transform one's ideas into images and allow the film crew, including actors / actresses, camera operators, and most importantly those who are involved in the production design process, to have visual ideas of how the final film would look like. Even though they are just a guideline and the final film would never look exactly like the storyboards, it helps different members of the film crew, such as the costume designer and the set designer, with preparing for the shoots. In my group's production, I was responsible for creating the storyboard. The final film is now completed, and when I review the storyboards, I think that many changes could have been made and they would have improved our film. 

In the first storyboard draft, instead of getting shot by a gun, the character was shot in the shoulder by an arrow. Our group realised that it would be very difficult to recreate that scene, and therefore, we decided to change the arrow to a gun bullet. In the final storyboards that I created, I drew the background set for the auditorium scenes and overall, more details could have been shown in the storyboards. Considerations such as: How do we create the huge background set? How do make sure that the colours of the costumes won't clash with the ones in the background? could have been made. Storyboards can help us organise ourselves and give us an idea of what costumes or props we need, however, I only completed the storyboards around a week before our first shoot, and I think that is the major reason why we were not prepared for our shoots. We often forgot to bring certain props, as we did not have enough time to get everything we wanted. Some props and set dressing, such as the map and the background set for the auditorium, ended up looking not very realistic or 'Western' in our film. For the Stanley beach scenes, I did not draw much of the background in the storyboards, causing our location set to not look like a desert at all. It was one of the major flaws in our film, as you can see modern buildings, cars and even the ocean in the frame. I think that we could have put fake cactuses or rocks on the beach, so that it would appear more desert-like.  

In conclusion, I think that there are a lot of improvements that could be made to the storyboards. One of the major improvement would be showing more details for the location background, as the location set is one of the main aspects of the film's mise en scene. After producing our film, I realised how important storyboards are. I would definitely put more effort into the storyboards for our next project. 

Storyboard - Director Laurent Tirard | 31 / 10

Making a storyboard can be a very time-consuming task, but it is extremely helpful and can save a lot of time during the shooting process. Mr. Laurent Tirard, a French director, came to our school this week and showed us a few of the films that he directed, including Le Petit Nicolas. During class, he presented the storyboards and video of one of the scenes from Le Petit Nicolas, sharing his filming and storyboarding experience.

Mr. Tirard mentioned that storyboards are just a guideline. The film clip that he showed us was similar to the storyboard, but not 100% same as it. In the scene from Le Petit Nicolas, I noticed that numerous changes were made and some additional shots were added into the film. Shot sizes were altered - some shots were wider than they were planned to be in the storyboard. Some shots that were not shown in the storyboard appeared in the film. In addition, Mr. Tirard used different unique shot sizes in his film. A few of them were hip shots - showing the character's hip and some were shot from behind the character, only showing the characters' back. I find these shot sizes to be rarely seen in other films and if there are any chances, I may consider using them in my production. 

After Mr. Tirard's lesson about storyboarding, I changed my perspective on the time-consuming task of making storyboards. I never really understood why we had to make storyboards, but they are actually very important as they help us organize our shots and it is the best method to share what I want the film to be like with my teammates using storyboards. It definitely improved the efficiency and quality of our film, and made our production process a lot easier as well. 

Applying Audio | Exporting Film

* Cannot use other people's work (music) without permission - illegal
* Use Legal Music Sources - Check Document on ManageBac

Exporting Film:

Click anywhere on timeline sequence first: File --> Export --> Quicktime Movie (Command E) --> Settings: Setting - Current Settings | Include - Audio and Video | Markers - None |
DON'T Recompress all frames --- UNCHECK | Make Movie Self-Contained --- CHECK √
--> Save

Missing Windows on Timeline:
Double Click on Sequence in the Browser / --> Window and Select them

Render Film (when red line appears):
Sequence --> Render Selection --> Render [Audio]

Applying Audio:

* Only add audio when the final film is completed.

Applications: GarageBand or Soundtrack Pro

GarageBand

Compile a basic sound track / sound effects for video 

Sound Track Pro

(Applications --> Final Cut Studio Folder --> Soundtrack Pro)

Everything is found in the Browser

1. Bring in our video - Browser (Bottom Left) - Drag video to timeline 

2. Browser - Search - Sound Effects / Music Beds - Click on one to preview 

3. Choose one and drag to timeline - you can move it around / make it longer (cursor on right hand side)

It is good to keep things in separate tracks - helps you to remember where things are and view things. 

Certain sounds can be a lot louder than the other ones, so you have to adjust the volume (left hand side of tracks). 

Ambience Sounds - Fill any sounds (when people are talking / hover background sounds)

Audio is very important! Amazing sounds makes a film better. 

Effects: 

- Left hand side

Clip Distortion 

File --> Export --> Settings: Exported Items - Master Mix | File Type - AIFF | Bit Depth - 16 Bit | Sample Rate - 48  (This only exports audio -- add audio into Final Cut Pro afterwards) 

To add audio into Final Cut Pro, import it to the browser first, then drag into timeline 

Get rid of clip that needs to be removed : Select the clips --> Modify --> Link (Command L) 

Then individually select the clip and delete the audio

Search for sounds 

iTunes 

Convert mp3 to AIFF 

General Preferences Import Settings --> Import using - AIFF Encoder | Setting - Custom | Sample Rate - 48 

Right click on the file and create AIFF version then drag it back to browser

Progress Journal - Analytical Entry #3

Our group is falling behind schedule.

Firstly, one of the biggest challenges in our film production is to create the background set in the school auditorium for our carnival sideshow scenes.

Shot from Original Movie - The Lone Ranger

As you can see from this photo, the background set includes large items - the tent, the huge rock and the desert wallpaper at the back.

I am clueless about how we will be creating the background set, as it is impossible for us to create something this huge unless we have enough tools, time and money. One of our group members suggested using the projector, but it would definitely not look very realistic. We can also cover a small stool with brownish grey paper and use it as the rock that the Indian is standing on. Other than that, we tried our best to make our film appear Western when we created the banner that we will be hanging above the door in the auditorium. We borrowed paper, some black paint, and brushes from the Art Department, and painted the words "Old West" on it. We also splattered the paint onto the paper as well. 

Secondly, it is not easy for us to find a time when all 5 of us are free. We planned to finish filming all the scenes during mid-term break, but we only got part of the shooting completed. A lot of changes were made to our original production plan. It is inevitable that some of us may have to make sacrifices and film instead of doing another previously planned activity. As I mentioned in the previous Progress Journal posts, although we work quite peacefully as a team, I think that our group is often not well-prepared for the shoots. I am worried that we may not have enough time to complete shooting or editing our film. 

The final product is due in less than two weeks, and we have neither completed shooting the scenes on St. Stephen's Beach, nor have we started filming in the auditorium. In addition, we are not prepared with the set dressing and props as well. Compared to other groups which have already started editing their footage, we are so far behind schedule. All of the shooting was planned to be done during mid-term break, but a lot of changes were made to the production plan. Since we are planning to get most of the shooting done next week, we may need to spend extra time editing as well. The following week is going to be very crucial as it is the only time (the last week before the final film is due) for us to catch up with our progress. 

Final Cut Pro - Notes

Setting
Format: Apple ProRes 422 (changes based on how camera is storing its information)
Primary Scratch Disk: Folder --> Documents --> Final Cut Pro Documents --> OK (where the video raw footage are saved)
"Unable to locate the following external devices" "HDV (1440 x 1080) 24p / 60i - Resolution = Cannot Locate Camera

How to import footage in the browser
"File" --> "Log and Transfer" ("Log and Capture" for Tape) --> Drag (It then transfers)
[ --> * Clip Name . Scene ]
Label the clip by right clicking (Best take, good take, etc.)
* Always know your footage well and be familiar with it

Frame Size: 
If frame size / frame rate does not match the one in the sequence, there may be problems. When dragging the first clip, Final Cut Pro would give you a message about changing sequence settings.
Moment of Black is needed [A] -- Titling / Text -- Can be dragged to sequence

* [A] Matte --> Solid Colour --> Choose Black --> Put it at the head of the timeline for at least 5 seconds
Last names should not be included in titles (First Name, Initials)

Choose in points and out points on monitor then drag to timeline

Canvas is where the final film appears

Use Slug to fill in scenes that are not yet ready / shot

Sequences: Can be used to divide complicated scenes / sections and afterwards drag it to the main edit sequence

Progress Journal - Analytical Entry #2: Film Shoot - Day 1 / 2 at St. Stephen's Beach

         3rd October, 2014 was our group’s first filming day. However, things did not turn out the way we planned. Before shooting, we went to search for the missing costumes and props that we need at Stanley Market, and the search took us longer than we expected, as it is quite difficult to search for the items that we need in this big massive market. After that, it began to rain and we were not able to film on St. Stephen’s Beach as our scenes are set outdoors. We decided to spend the rest of the time preparing for our production portfolio by taking photos of our costumes and props, so that we would be well-prepared for our next shoot, and arranged another day and time to film. 

         Finding another day and time to film was not easy for our group. We communicated mainly through emails, and we all are free at different times. One of our group members created a spreadsheet for us to fill in dates to clearly list out when we are free. We finally organized a time for our second shoot. 

         Our next film shoot was on 23rd October, 2014. We started off with the actresses putting on makeup and changing into costumes. The director and I, the camera operator, collected the props that we brought. Unfortunately, one of us forgot to bring the prop gun and our prop map was missing. Moreover, we needed fake blood for our shooting scene, but we did not have all of the ingredients required to create fake blood. Nonetheless, we went to St. Stephen’s Beach to shoot the scenes that does not involve the use of fake blood and the missing props. During the shoot, I was operating the camera - although I took film in Year 8 as well, this is actually my first time being the camera operator. Setting up the tripod and microphone, and manually changing the settings of the camera, was at first complicated, but through practice, it becomes a piece of cake for me. The weather was very hot, but it was perfect for our scenes as the setting was a desert. We got part of our film shot, however, since we forgot to bring some of the props, we need to arrange another time to come to St. Stephen’s Beach to shoot the rest of the scenes. 

         I often find it hard for our group to be well-prepared and organized for film shoots. Not only is it difficult for us to gather together, but not every one of us is clear about what scenes we will be shooting, causing us to forget to bring equipment, props or costumes that we need. For example, I, as the camera operator, has all the film equipment - camera, shotgun microphone and tripod, but I left the equipment at school as I thought we would be shooting at school. However, it turned out that not everyone was free, therefore the shoot was cancelled. As a result, I had to go back to school during mid-term break just to retrieve the film equipment from my locker for our film shoot. To avoid this situation in the future, creating a list of items that we need to bring to the shoot may be helpful. Our group should also plan beforehand, instead of making last-minute decisions. Moreover, I think that I should work more on communicating with my group members. During the shoot, the actresses wanted the scene to be shot differently, but personally, I did not think that the scene should be shot that way. I find difficulty in expressing my own opinions, as I am more of a quiet listener than a talker. At last, I shot the scene using both ways and we will review the footage and decide on which one to use when editing. 

             Producing a film is not easy - it certainly takes a lot of effort and time to produce a good film, but I am looking forward to our following shoots. 

Progress Journal - Analytical Entry #1: Production Portfolio

Our production portfolio was due about 2 weeks ago, and I would like to write an entry about it not only to record the process, but also because the experience has taught me about the importance of time management. The assignment was given a long time ago and I started by planning out what I have to include in my production portfolio. 

I made a list of what I need to include in my portfolio, so that my work would be organized. 

I put a ‘√’ check mark next to each part when I finish them. 

As I am the camera operator, I was responsible for the storyboards and overheads. I also planned to add information about camera shot sizes in my portfolio. We were given time in class to work on our production portfolio, however, I did not get much work done during class because I did not spend time wisely, so most of my production portfolio work would have to be done at home. I researched on the Internet on how to create fake blood, as well as camera shot sizes. I stuck photos that I found on the web and photos of costumes and props that our group took in my portfolio. There was a lot of work to do. We also had to buy or create some of the costumes and props that we couldn’t borrow from school, and it was not very easy for us to find the items that we need. During our first shoot, we went to Stanley Market to buy some items, however, not all of the items could be found there. For example, we needed an Old West silver star badge, one of the major props in our film, but we could not find it anywhere. Therefore, we made our own badge using silver paper, cardboard and a safety pin. We tried our best to find costumes and props that look similar to those in the original movie. 

      The Badge that we made 

The Original Badge

Although I finished my portfolio at last, I left most of my work undone until the night before the portfolio was due. I got home at around 8, which was later than usual that night, and I started working on my production portfolio as soon as I finished my dinner and all the homework from other subjects. Since most of my work was not yet done and the research that I previously did was not detailed enough, I worked till after midnight. At that moment, I regretted not starting to do my work in advance and felt very ashamed of myself. I could have started earlier and my work would be better as well. I did not manage my time well and waited till last-minute to start my work. This has taught me that time management is very important. If you leave your work till last-minute, not only would the quality of your work not be as good, it would also affect your physical health. That night, I only had a few hours of sleep and the next day, I did not have that much energy and undoubtedly, it was hard for me to concentrate in class on that day. 

Doing pre-production work takes time and effort, but it has helped us with producing our film smoothly and would improve our final product. The mise-en-scène of our film has certainly improved as for example, we did research on how to create realistic fake blood and we also searched for props that look similar to those in the original movie. Even though I completed my production portfolio, I am not 100% satisfied with my final portfolio. If I had the chance to redo it, I would not make the same mistakes again and start working on it in advance. 

Progress Journal: How I feel about doing Pre-Production Work

Pre-production is the process of gathering ideas, planning, and preparing for the film. Pre-production work includes storyboards, script, shooting schedule and preparation for costumes, props, makeup, locations and sets, etc. 

Even though doing pre-production work takes a lot of time and effort, it has given me an opportunity to improve the mise-en-scéne our film and change how our final work would look. I will be researching about Western costumes, props and makeup, which would help make our film appear more realistic and help the mood, environment and story to be set and conveyed easily. Pre-production work also allows me to organise what I need for the film. Our group listed out the props, costumes and equipments that we need and also planned out the shooting dates and locations that are suitable for filming. The storyboards and script would also give us a very clear idea of what the story is about and what camera shots, angles and movements we will be using. With a very clear and detailed plan, the shooting process of our film should be performed smoothly. 

Progress Journal

20th September, 2014

Today, Tung Tung, the director of our film, and I decided on the final plot of our film. Our group has chosen a 30-second scene from the movie, The Lone Ranger, and we will be reverse engineering it. In the scene, it jumps back and forth from one scene to another, which made it very confusing. Tung Tung and I had to do some research on the movie to understand what the scene is about. After combining the ideas from our group mates and working out the details of our plot, we finally came up with a story for our film. 

23rd September, 2014

Today, we went location scouting in the school auditorium.

I have written a detailed blog post on my location scouting experience:

http://y9candacelaw.blogspot.hk/2014/09/location-scouting-auditorium-cis.html

24th September, 2014

We started working on our production portfolio today in film class. I have created a list, listing our what I should include in my production portfolio. Then, I began to research on some camera movements, angles and shots. I did not do much in class as it took me a very long time to figure out what I should include in my portfolio. Therefore, I need to work more efficiently.

26th September, 2014
Today in class, I continued working on my production portfolio. I did some research on how to create realistic fake blood. In addition, I started working on the final storyboard and script. I tried to find the script of the original movie, however, there weren't any results. As I am the camera operator, I am responsible for most of the storyboard. It was difficult to decide on what shot I should use for some scenes that were not in the original movie. Hence, I should do more research on camera shots and movements before I start working on the final storyboard. 

3rd October, 2014

Today is our first shooting day. Originally, we planned to look for costumes and props that we need and start filming on St. Stephen's Beach afterwards. However, unfortunately, we were not able to film because it started to rain.  Therefore, after buying the costumes and props that we need at Stanley Market, the actresses changed into the costumes and we took some photos of both the costumes and the props. I genuinely hope that the mise en scene of our film can clearly show characteristics of Western films.

Location Scouting - Auditorium @ CIS 23 / 9

Today after school, I went location scouting in the school auditorium along with the director of our film. We took some photos and here are some of my findings:

We will be shooting two of the scenes of our film in the auditorium.

Shot (1) from The Lone Ranger 

The Indian (Kaia) will be standing on the stage (in the front) and the little girl (Yoonjin) will be standing near the door.

Shot (2) from The Lone Ranger

What we will be shooting

Our camera (with tripod) would be placed on the stairs for Shot 1. For shot 2, the camera would be placed near the seats. 

Of course, there would always be obstacles and challenges that we will encounter: 

I have found solutions to solve these problems.
                                   


As you can see from these two photos, the "Exit" sign above the door is very bright. You can see the reflection of the light on the floor. To solve this problem, we can ask the support staff to turn the light off. Secondly, the lectern would be in the way of the camera's view. We will move it away when filming. Lastly, I noticed that the air conditioners in the auditorium tend to make loud noises. We can ask the support staff to turn the air conditioners off for us. 

I realised that location scouting is a very important job. It is essential to pay attention to all the details to make sure that the location is suitable for filming. 

Camera Notes

Camera Basics

Camera Model: Canon HFM400

1. Make sure that the camera is on M (Manual)
2. Turn on the camera by pressing the Power button
3. To record: Red button (in the back) - Start / Stop
4. Initialize SD card

• Do not touch lens 
• Right side of Camera - SD (Secure Digital) Card 
• On top of camera - Zoom (left: W - wide angle , right: T - Telephoto)  

Screen 

Top Left - Function

Top Right - Battery 

Hand - Stabilization

PF25 FXP - 25 frames per sec

Settings

--> Function Button 

Initializing 

- Menu --> Initialize (1. Wipes all footage in the card 2. formats the card) --> Card A --> Press Initialize --> Press 'Yes'

White Balance

White Balance: Telling the camera what pure white is

--> Custom WB

To set custom WB, put a piece of white paper in front of camera (3cm / 4cm) and then remove paper, wait till symbol stops flashing

Every time you move to a new location, you have to set the White Balance again.

Focus

--> MF (Manual Focus) button --> Touch where you want to focus and 'target' will appear 

Leave some distance between background and character

Exposure : Overall Brightness of an image

Press M --> Increase to make it brighter / Decrease to make it darker 

Onscreen Markers

Function --> Menu --> Onscreen Markers

Level (White) 

Level (Grey) : Shows grid -- Rule of Thirds

* To reset everything: Switch back to Auto and then back to Manual 

* Every time you move to a new location, you have to set the White Balance, Focus and Exposure. 

• Tripod

- Three Legs - 2 sections each leg 

- Side of tripod has a lock 

- Pan arm for movement 

- Green air bubble : tells you if the floor is level

- Base plate - Lock --> Slides down plate --> Line Camera with plate --> Tighten it (do not over-tighten)

Movements 

- Tilt: Up and Down

- Pan: Side to side 

• Microphone

Videomic Pro Compact Shotgun Microphone 
Attaching:

Get Adapter --> Open top of camera ("magic door") --> Slide Microphone Adapter (Bottom) in --> Turn dial to lock --> Plug in microphone "Mic" --> Turn on microphone 

Function --> Menu --> AV/Headphones (Audio Output of Camera) --> Headphones

Turn headphone volume up:
Function --> Menu --> Headphone Volume

1. Attach
2. Turn on microphone O: Off I: ON 『: Cuts all low sound frequencies
3. Input Volume of Microphone: -10 (If it is too soft, put it on 0)
4. Headphone Volume & Microphone Volume

In-Camera Control
Mic. Level: ALWAYS Manual - Adjust
Green Dot: Decent Sound

Microphone Volume | Headphones Volume
Make sure you ADJUST both of them

Input Volume of Microphone: -10
(Manual) Microphone Close to 70
Headphone 8-10 / 15

*AIR CONS OFF

Always wear headphones when recording
Try to avoid using the small headphones (Apple)

At the end of section (during class time),  capture the footage and plug the camera in (with battery) and charge it.

Battery Lifetime: An hour and 40 mins
Take extra battery if you are shooting for a long period of time and make sure you charge before shooting
The camera will only charge when it is off.

Little Door at the back: Power plug

What does a professional location scout do?

Location scouting is a very important process when it comes to filmmaking. Location scouts start searching for locations that are suitable after directors have decided what kind of scenery they need in their film. Searching for locations might seem like an easy job, but actually, professional location scouts have to consider a lot of factors, such as weather conditions, costs and lighting. They also need to ask for permission for access from the owners of the locations. 

My Artistic Statement

In this unit, we are creating Western films and our group has decided to reverse engineer a film based on a scene from The Lone Ranger, a Western film directed by Gore Verbinski. There are different camera shots and movements used in the scene that we picked from The Lone Ranger. As the camerawoman, I hope that I will be able to recreate the scene by controlling the shots and movements of the camera. In addition, I want our film to be easily identified as a Western. Therefore, our work has to clearly possess the characteristics of Western films, focusing particularly on the mise-en-scène. Ultimately, I hope that our group can create an interesting film that the audience would enjoy watching.

Characteristics of the Western Genre

Guns, cowboys and vast deserts. These are just some of the typical characteristics of the Western genre. In films, the mise-en-scène - everything that appears in the frame, like props, the setting, the characters and costumes, makes it very easy for the audience to identify which genre the film belongs to. First of all, the characters of Western films are always cowboys. The distinctive costumes that the characters wear can also tell the audience that the film belongs to the Western genre. Women tend to wear dresses while men usually wear cowboy hats, jeans and boots. Secondly, the props are also one of the features of the Western genre. Weapons like guns and wooden furniture often appear in Westerns. Last but not least, the setting is one of the most important features of Western films. Settings in Western films include vast deserts, mountains, rugged lands and also bars and small towns. In conclusion, the characters (cowboys), the distinctive costumes that they wear, the props and also the settings are what makes a Western film distinguishable.