Month: January 2018

The style of transition that is going to continue the narrative flow of my film is the whip pan. The whip pan is a fairly common and subtle style of transition from scene to scene in movies, however, I am going to make a feature of it for mine. Some film genres are notorious for using it, such as classic martial arts films, and so are some directors; such as Damien Chazelle, Edgar Wright and Paul Thomas Anderson. I’ve included some short examples of the use of the transition style and a digital demo that I made to test it out in preparation for my film.

HB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTTAbdUL1LQ

Bibliography

After Hours at Rick’s. (2014). Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel; confecting a modern Buster Keaton comedy. [online] Available at: https://afterhourswithersi.wordpress.com/2014/03/25/wes-andersons-grand-budapest-hotel-confecting-a-modern-buster-keaton-comedy/.

Barnard, L. (2014). Wes Anderson shares secrets about making the Grand Budapest Hotel | Toronto Star. [online] thestar.com. Available at: https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2014/03/13/wes_anderson_shares_secrets_about_making_the_grand_budapest_hotel.html.

Bordwell, D. (2007). Observations on film art » Funny framings » Print. [online] Davidbordwell.net. Available at: http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2007/04/30/funny-framings/print/.

Hamid, R. (2014). The General. [online] Senses of Cinema. Available at: http://sensesofcinema.com/2014/cteq/the-general/.

Hauser, F. and Reich, R. (2003). Notes on directing. New York: Walker & Co.

Keaton, B. and Sweeney, K. (2007). Buster Keaton. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi.

Knopf, R. (1999). The theater and cinema of Buster Keaton. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Kunze, P. (2014). The films of Wes Anderson. Palgrave Macmillan.

LYNSKEY, D. (2014). Film By Film: Wes Anderson On Wes Anderson. [online] Empire. Available at: https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/wes-anderson/ [Accessed 1 Jan. 2018].

Morefield, K. (2015). Faith and spirituality in masters of world cinema. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Mufson, B. (2018). Why Buster Keaton’s the OG of Physical Comedy. [online] Creators. Available at: https://creators.vice.com/en_uk/article/vvyx9j/why-buster-keatons-the-og-of-physical-comedy.

Prikryl, J. (2011). The Genius of Buster. [online] The New York Review of Books. Available at: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2011/06/09/genius-buster-keaton/.

Puschak, E. (2016). Scott Pilgrim: Make Your Transitions Count.

Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pij5lihbC6k.

Runquist, K. (2017). Edgar Wright: How to Make a Protagonist | Video Essay. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6nFIogiMRg.

Terkel, S. and Keaton, B. (1960). Buster Keaton talks with Studs Terkel ; 1960/09/05.

Trahair, L. (2004). The Narrative-Machine: Buster Keaton’s Cinematic Comedy, Deleuze’s Recursion Function and the Operational Aesthetic. [online] Senses of Cinema. Available at: http://sensesofcinema.com/2004/comedy-and-perception/keaton_deleuze/.

YouTube. (2018). Casino Royale shot – Whip Pan. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qjCwb9DoaI.

YouTube. (2018). Hızlı Pan (Whip Pan) – Bruce Lee. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTTAbdUL1LQ.

Zhou, T. (2015). Buster Keaton – The Art of the Gag.

Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWEjxkkB8Xs.

Wes Anderson is another great inspiration to me but is also himself heavily inspired by Buster Keaton – his characters acting with precise motives and movement, providing action sequences with a very simple physicality. The camera also acts in a flat world like Keaton’s features, movement being horizontal, vertical or towards/away from the camera. In doing so he creates a semi-hyper reality that is ultimately more appealing than the real world. Here we see two scenes that show Anderson’s style of movement, be it the movement of the camera whilst interacting with the world or a static shot where the action is provided by the characters.

HB

Bibliography

After Hours at Rick’s. (2014). Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel; confecting a modern Buster Keaton comedy. [online] Available at: https://afterhourswithersi.wordpress.com/2014/03/25/wes-andersons-grand-budapest-hotel-confecting-a-modern-buster-keaton-comedy/.

Barnard, L. (2014). Wes Anderson shares secrets about making the Grand Budapest Hotel | Toronto Star. [online] thestar.com. Available at: https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2014/03/13/wes_anderson_shares_secrets_about_making_the_grand_budapest_hotel.html.

Bordwell, D. (2007). Observations on film art » Funny framings » Print. [online] Davidbordwell.net. Available at: http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2007/04/30/funny-framings/print/.

Hamid, R. (2014). The General. [online] Senses of Cinema. Available at: http://sensesofcinema.com/2014/cteq/the-general/.

Hauser, F. and Reich, R. (2003). Notes on directing. New York: Walker & Co.

Keaton, B. and Sweeney, K. (2007). Buster Keaton. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi.

Knopf, R. (1999). The theater and cinema of Buster Keaton. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Kunze, P. (2014). The films of Wes Anderson. Palgrave Macmillan.

LYNSKEY, D. (2014). Film By Film: Wes Anderson On Wes Anderson. [online] Empire. Available at: https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/wes-anderson/ [Accessed 1 Jan. 2018].

Morefield, K. (2015). Faith and spirituality in masters of world cinema. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Mufson, B. (2018). Why Buster Keaton’s the OG of Physical Comedy. [online] Creators. Available at: https://creators.vice.com/en_uk/article/vvyx9j/why-buster-keatons-the-og-of-physical-comedy.

Prikryl, J. (2011). The Genius of Buster. [online] The New York Review of Books. Available at: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2011/06/09/genius-buster-keaton/.

Puschak, E. (2016). Scott Pilgrim: Make Your Transitions Count.

Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pij5lihbC6k.

Runquist, K. (2017). Edgar Wright: How to Make a Protagonist | Video Essay. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6nFIogiMRg.

Terkel, S. and Keaton, B. (1960). Buster Keaton talks with Studs Terkel ; 1960/09/05.

Trahair, L. (2004). The Narrative-Machine: Buster Keaton’s Cinematic Comedy, Deleuze’s Recursion Function and the Operational Aesthetic. [online] Senses of Cinema. Available at: http://sensesofcinema.com/2004/comedy-and-perception/keaton_deleuze/.

YouTube. (2018). Casino Royale shot – Whip Pan. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qjCwb9DoaI.

YouTube. (2018). Hızlı Pan (Whip Pan) – Bruce Lee. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTTAbdUL1LQ.

Zhou, T. (2015). Buster Keaton – The Art of the Gag.

Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWEjxkkB8Xs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cewBN6iWDns

Someone who is a big inspiration for me is Buster Keaton, a pioneer of visual storytelling. Keaton was mainly active in the early twentieth century where films were silent, black and white features and stories were told through subtitle cards and orchestras. At the turn of the century an average feature length film had 240 subtitle cards throughout the movie, whilst the most Buster Keaton ever included was just over fifty. This is an example simply to illustrate how Keaton told a tale in a completely original and unique way; the influences of which can still be seen today – be it cinematically in Wes Anderson’s directing, physically in Bill Murray’s performances or even Christopher Nolan’s large, animatronic set pieces.

Keaton was ground breaking at the time for telling a story physically; through expression, gesture and pantomime. It was action that told the audience what a character was feeling or saying; very much show and not tell. Personally this is something I very much love and think is lacking in cinema today – faith in the audience. Keaton doesn’t treat his audience as if they are stupid, he allows them room to understand and interpret whilst a lot of films currently spoon feed their audiences as if they couldn’t work it out for themselves; rife with exposition and generic dialogue.

One of the main reasons that Keaton’s specific style was so successful and has held the test of time is that he followed a set of rules in the world he created; a flat world. Where what we and the camera see is all that the character can see also, the movement of the camera or other objects in the scene that reveal something new to us are at the same time being revealed to Keaton. He  also understood people and what draws their attention, to where and for how long – this is why all the movement of the characters in the film is towards or away from the camera, horizontal or vertical. He told his narrative with simple directions and geography so that as the characters move so does the story in that direction; it is also where he found his physical humour and framing, with geometric shapes and action. These principles that Keaton set in his productions are what I wish to be inspired by and follow in my own making.

HB

bibliography

After Hours at Rick’s. (2014). Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel; confecting a modern Buster Keaton comedy. [online] Available at: https://afterhourswithersi.wordpress.com/2014/03/25/wes-andersons-grand-budapest-hotel-confecting-a-modern-buster-keaton-comedy/.

Barnard, L. (2014). Wes Anderson shares secrets about making the Grand Budapest Hotel | Toronto Star. [online] thestar.com. Available at: https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2014/03/13/wes_anderson_shares_secrets_about_making_the_grand_budapest_hotel.html.

Bordwell, D. (2007). Observations on film art » Funny framings » Print. [online] Davidbordwell.net. Available at: http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2007/04/30/funny-framings/print/.

Hamid, R. (2014). The General. [online] Senses of Cinema. Available at: http://sensesofcinema.com/2014/cteq/the-general/.

Hauser, F. and Reich, R. (2003). Notes on directing. New York: Walker & Co.

Keaton, B. and Sweeney, K. (2007). Buster Keaton. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi.

Knopf, R. (1999). The theater and cinema of Buster Keaton. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Kunze, P. (2014). The films of Wes Anderson. Palgrave Macmillan.

LYNSKEY, D. (2014). Film By Film: Wes Anderson On Wes Anderson. [online] Empire. Available at: https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/wes-anderson/ [Accessed 1 Jan. 2018].

Morefield, K. (2015). Faith and spirituality in masters of world cinema. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Mufson, B. (2018). Why Buster Keaton’s the OG of Physical Comedy. [online] Creators. Available at: https://creators.vice.com/en_uk/article/vvyx9j/why-buster-keatons-the-og-of-physical-comedy.

Prikryl, J. (2011). The Genius of Buster. [online] The New York Review of Books. Available at: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2011/06/09/genius-buster-keaton/.

Puschak, E. (2016). Scott Pilgrim: Make Your Transitions Count.

Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pij5lihbC6k.

Runquist, K. (2017). Edgar Wright: How to Make a Protagonist | Video Essay. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6nFIogiMRg.

Terkel, S. and Keaton, B. (1960). Buster Keaton talks with Studs Terkel ; 1960/09/05.

Trahair, L. (2004). The Narrative-Machine: Buster Keaton’s Cinematic Comedy, Deleuze’s Recursion Function and the Operational Aesthetic. [online] Senses of Cinema. Available at: http://sensesofcinema.com/2004/comedy-and-perception/keaton_deleuze/.

YouTube. (2018). Casino Royale shot – Whip Pan. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qjCwb9DoaI.

YouTube. (2018). Hızlı Pan (Whip Pan) – Bruce Lee. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTTAbdUL1LQ.

Zhou, T. (2015). Buster Keaton – The Art of the Gag.

Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWEjxkkB8Xs.

After experimenting with text to speech voice narration in my film:

I felt the addition of voices took away from the film’s visuals, and i wanted to shift the focus back to them. I tried leaving the film silent, but felt an ambient, simple track might better suit the tone.

I decided to take inspiration from Ryoji Ikeda once again, specifically his album Dataplex, and try to make a simple soundtrack myself. Ikeda typically works with the highest and lowest registers of human hearning, and while this isnt something i want to do myself, a subtle, quiet track would be ideal.

I used FruityLoops Studio, software recommended to me by a friend, and experimented with what i could do using audio clips from the footage and the narration alongside virtual instruments. This was a completely new process for me but one i think became a fascinating learning experience, and i believe the result will much better match the tone and concept of the film.

Ian Cheng’s work centres on simulations which are often turned into video. In this music video for the band Liars, Cheng has exploited the 3D models virtually fragility- their tendency to clip through each other and distort, exposing the elements of 3D animation that are typically a detriment. The camera is also not fixed but swings wildly around a space with no real indication of size or orientation. Exposing these elements of digital practice sets the video inside the computer itself, not entirely dissimilar to The Man with the Movie Camera’s inclusion of the filming and editing process.

 

Similarly, the opening to Push Pulk/ Spinning Plates dir. Johnny Hardstaff features a 3D CAD model to generate abstract visuals whilst alluding to the form of machinery. It retains a distinctly digital aesthetic by exposing the wireframe mesh of the model, which, when coloured and edited during post processing becomes almost sculptural, a subject in and of itself.

Stan Brakhage was an American non narrative filmmaker often credited with being one of the most influential 2th century experimental film makers.

Brakhage’s film often utilized hand painted frames, all manner of cutting techniques, superimposition, scratching at the surface of the film itself, and even taping found objects such as plants to the film, as he did to produce Mothlight (1963)

This experimentation with material and inventive approach to generating image is something i want to explore in relation to current digital technology, and processes of editing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKC7BRfuXaw

 

2016 marked 50 year anniversary of Vans “Off The Wall”. To celebrate 50 years Vans and Asos teamed up to create a unique advert, combining two well known young adult fashion companies together.

This advert focuses on the different people that wear vans and fit into the Skate culture that surrounds the company. Focussing on the unique features and versatility of each individual the advert brings everyone together with at least one common interest.

The advert uses quick editing and illustrations to create a modern and edgy atmosphere. The illustrations allow another level to be added to the advert with quick sketchy drawings and lines highlighting certain parts of some shots. This introduces the well known distressed style that skate culture heavily features.

I like the effect these illustrations have on the advert as a whole and i am thinking about using a similar idea to enhance my advert.

 

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Vans x ASOS | 50 years of Vans | Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn

Accessed [20th december 2017]

https://youtu.be/tKC7BRfuXaw