Shots

Today in class we viewed a mixture of films to see different images and editting styles. One film that I want to see due to a clip in class is Clara Law's Automoon. I love how she captured Hong Kong, one of the most busiest places in the world, completely empty.
Amazing. I can't wait to see the rest of the film.

I'm going to start watching a couple of films per week. Hopefully I can watch three extra films--two of them will be documentaries, while one will be any genre. I want to see the different shots these filmmakers do.

Again, I love how one can view a film so many times and still see it in a different lens.

A Screening

Today we saw Makia's documentary which displayed the violence in the streets of Philadelphia.

I love documentaries, and can't wait to create a full documentary. Right now, I'm filming a short piece that showcases the art students at Hunter. I'm so excited! The people in my crew are all different, which is great because we can all bring our diverse backgrounds/teachings to the 3-8 minute film.

Back to Makia's documentary though...
I had lots of questions. I asked if we needed to request permission for certain people who happened to be in the shot. What type of microphones were used? What was your inspiration?

I love documentaries because they open the audience to another world, a world that is real, and at times, right next door. It was nice that we were able to see some of her work.

Looking at some of her shots, I saw that my shots in the short documentary I'm doing now, are different. We all have different angles and stylistic approaches and I can appreciate that.

Museum Blog Assignment!!!

I had to write another blog for the assignment:

1st: What I chose to write about---Automated Dialogue Replacement.

My favorite part of the whole museum. The tour was short, but a few of us, after exploring ourselves first, made a tour of our own. First stop, the automated booth. We walked in with a different group of high school students and their tour guide, who taught all of us the different elements/functions to doing voiceovers. The tour guide showed us an example with a high school student, by using the movie Babe. It was great. After the tour guide was then we all left the booth. Then, I suggested that we should go back in, and ohh how I'm glad we did.

It was less crowded the second time, just us four. We looked through the selection of movies and three of us gave it a go. The movie I chose, Coming to America. The audio played my lines first so I could rehearse, then the second time, I was recorded. I've seen this movie dozens of times, but the words went by so fast, it was hard to keep up. When I heard the playback, there was one segment in which I said, aaaaaaaaaaa (and no, that was not part of the scene ^.^). I learned how hard it could be to do voiceovers.

I was always interested in this form of media production and knew that these devices have been here for a long time. Being a long time fan of anime, I quite often thought about how people supplemented their voices for the characters and how I would do in trying this.

Throughout the years, voiceovers have helped society as a whole in terms of communication, immensely. Whether it was for translating into a different language or adding voice to an animal or animated character (to give a more humanistic appeal, reach a certain audience, to make more "entertaining", etc), it has become a large component of our lifestyle and something we've become used to. While watching a movie on a certain channel, there are times in which the film might contain language not suitable for that channel's viewers, in turn, the movie might supply a voiceover of a less offensive word/phrase. A very subtle change, sometimes hardly recognizable, but used so often.

It was nice trying out the station. There was so much work put into every object within the museum. Just furthering my appreciation for this area.

Museum!!!

So, I've passed this museum during the summer and didn't go in--mistake.

It was great going to a museum solely for media entertainment. Never had a chance to be up close with a Akeley Pancake (35mm). It was interesting to see what Flaherty would have used, as well as other filmmakers around that time period. I never saw a Moviola (editing equipment) until that day either. It looks just like a sewing machine, and the guide said that women more often used these and actually helped them in terms of having the ability to edit (I'm guessing, for within that time). It was nice seeing the Sports editing area as well. I didn't know that the director would be in charge of 14 cameras, 14! I also enjoyed looking through the Motoscope of George Milies' 1902 Trip to the Moon. All I could think about was Jackie Gleason, during the credits of the Honeymooners.

3rd favorite: Tyrell Skyscrapper, Blade Runner

In the Blade Runner is a scene depicting this huge skyscraper, at least, you think it would be. In actuality, the skyscrapper was a miniature object.

Parts of it seem to be missing as well-an indicator that these objects were meant to last for the duration of the movie, not a lifetime.

2nd favorite: Exorcist Puppet

Inside the museum lays the puppet from the horror flick, The Exorcist and a mini clip displaying the scene containing the girl and the swap with the puppet. Through editing, there was a cut made to a super close-up of the Priest, adding to the intensity of the scene, while taking us away from the installation of the puppet.

I love the tricks you can do with the camera.

Design I Like

My choice-The DVD cover of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist.

The cover portrays a balanced photograph, which allows the audience to take in all of what the photograph has to offer. Though the snapshot may be balanced, there is an extra emphasis towards the center. According to the rule of thirds, Nick and Norah (actors Michael Cera and Kat Dennings), are in the center; great idea because they are the main characters of the film.

The cover gives uses a narrative, a story. The image of the city vs. the size of the two main characters functions well. It lets the audience know that the film will probably deal with NYC, but the city isn’t as nearly as important as the two people who are going to roam in it. The medium long shot, going from the knee and up, is showing the physicality of the body emotionally. Due to their stances, the audience can see that they’re happy. They’re captured in a still, exhibiting laughter and/or smiling. The audience can probably see that this film will perhaps be comical, light-hearted, easy going, etc.

Along with their stances, the background scenery helps to elucidate the emotions that should have been captured. The background of the environment is very flat. In the photo are the city lights, and a view of iconic NY buildings. The lights are very bright and vibrant, and provide a great contrast between them and the dark background. The brightest colors (the ones exuding a glow) happen to be red, green, and blue, the main colors for light. Though the shot is flat, the people within the center exhibit more depth by being 3 dimensional.

The typography isn’t formal, like Times Roman, but resembles neat handwriting. It makes it more personal, endearing, and youthful. The headphones encircling the two characters are in a heart shape, telling the audience that they have/form a love through music, and as the headphone cord wraps around the legs of the two protagonists, it leads to the phrase: Every Night Has A Soundtrack. The choice of the words signify that this film is driven by music. Though that phrase, the names of the actors, and the title of the film are located on the cover, the images on the front still pop out. As mentioned in class, the brain works better with visual imagery. The cover of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist provides a wonderful collage of words, objects and overall image, to help explain the sum of the film-two teens, who in one night, undergo a journey, perhaps shaped by music, and they fall for one another.

Terminator 2

I felt like I was back in a math class yesterday :-)

Nothing but the x-axis.

It's funny how one can watch a movie and then read a chapter out of the Cherrier book or come to class, and see it from a completely different standpoint.

There are so many options in doing a shot. So many meanings that one angle can convey.

Today two examples stuck out to me, Terminator 2 and the one featuring the professor with a student on the 4th floor hallway.

The tilting shot. The Terminators boots to the face. A slow scan up with the camera positioned downward so when tilting up, the Terminator looks more empowering. I love the tricks you can do with simple positioning--it conveys so much.

The z-axis shot (never heard of this term in reference to film): The student walking in the hallway, towards the camera. With this shot the student stayed on the screen longer, and the focal point changed. It was great. Something so simple, but nice.

Just Passing By

A few days ago, I was walking through the corridors of the North Building and I cam across some pictures on a wall across the USG room. I saw someone I recognized and immediately commented, what a nice medium shot. I felt like I converted. Since the beginning of the course, I've began to analyze small things like this within a new lens. My tastes and awareness for the camera have grown exponentially and all I want to do is capture and learn as much as possible.