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.