Directors and theorists within my chosen genre

Listverse.com has created a list of the top ten avant-garde filmmakers and directors (http://listverse.com/2011/08/11/top-10-avant-garde-filmmakers/). My personal 3 favourites within these are:

-MICHAEL SNOW

Michael Snow is a Canadian artist. He is considered to be one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, and his numerous films have been shown at film festivals all around the world. He specialises in the genre of avant-garde, his most famous project being "Wavelength". He has also created many short films.

-JONAS MEKAS

Jonas Mekas is a Lithuanian-American filmmaker and artist. His work is so influential that he has been nicknamed "The Godfather of Avent-garde cinema" after his work on films such as "Symphony of Joy", "Empire", and "365 Day Project". Like Snow, his works have been shown at worldwide film festivals and cinemas.

-MAN RAY

Man Ray was an American-French visual artist who frequently collaborated with Salvador Dali. He created many short films in the 1920s and did a lot of photography and editing work on avant-garde short films.

 

 

 

Additionally, my all-time favourite director is Jean-Pierre Jeunet. He directed my favourite film, Amelie, which is avant-garde and has many creative qualities.

"Amélie" is a fanciful comedy about a young woman who discretely orchestrates the lives of the people around her, creating a world exclusively of her own making. Shot in over 80 Parisian locations, acclaimed director Jean-Pierre Jeunet ("Delicatessen"; "The City of Lost Children") invokes his incomparable visionary style to capture the exquisite charm and mystery of modern-day Paris through the eyes of a beautiful ingenue."

PETER BURGER - THEORIST

Peter Burger is a theorist who wrote a book titled THE THEORY OF AVANT-GARDE. He decided that in order for avant-garde to be truly valuable, it has to 'break the system' of a conventionally typical art. He also said that for the avant-garde, process and outcome are more important than the content. He describes avant-garde to be an art, and so has a main function of not following the typicalities of what one would expect from the genre. 

"The author argues that it is the social status of art, its function and prestige in society, that provides the connection between the individual art work and history. Bürger’s concept of the institution of art establishes a framework within which a work of art is both produced and received." -Minnesota Review

A still of young Amelie eating raspberries off her fingers- a sweet but natural scene, one that inspires me to follow with in my film as I want to show the sweet moments of every day life.

Recreating the stills using lighting and position (left image is using flash)

Digital Technology

While my film is simple in its idea, I need to use high quality video and focus to achieve the look I want in my film. Using a good quality camera is essential to creating a good film as it looks professional and is more interesting to watch, especially as I can create interesting effects with my camerawork such as changing the focus on certain scenes.

I plan on using a Canon EOS 450D camera. I have tested filming with it previously and achieved high quality film while being able to change the focus and get a good frame on my shot, as it is durable and easy to stand to get the accurate shot that I want.

Additionally to the camera I will be using an Apple Mac to do all of my editing on as the software on it (iMovie and Final Cut Pro) is professional and easy to use so I can achieve the best quality film with the edited effects I want to pull off my ideas.

To keep my film safe I will be using an SD card in my camera and a memory stick to hold it in, especially as I will be working from my Mac at home and at school.

Bordwell and Thompson- Theorists

Bordwell and Thompson show a clear distinction between story and plot. Their work is based on the Russian Film Theory:

Fabula, aka Story: All of the events shown in the narrative that the audience sees. It is the chronological series of events that are represented.

Syuzhet, aka Plot: Everything that is visible and audio that is presented in front of the audience. It is the order, manner, and techniques within the narrative.

Applying this to my film, the story of it is the progression of my characters from beginning to end, with the gradual introduction of the other characters surrounding the protagonist. The plot is each individual clip being shown in different ways, using mise-en-scene and background music to create interest in the audience.

Sonder & my film idea

'Sonder' is a low frequency word I have seen used on social networking websites (originally from the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, which I discovered after researching it) that describes the realisation that other people exist around you with as complex a life as yourself. It links well with my interest in Love Actually's subplots and Amelie's narration and gives me lots of ideas for how I could include them in my film.

(from UrbanDictionary.com)

After discovering this word and its definition it has inspired me to create my film based around the idea of it. My current idea for my film is (in basic list form-not developed):

-Based around the point of view of one person

-Multiple other people are featured in random parts of the film repeatedly in 'Love Actually' style

-It has the narration in Amelie's style when each person has their likes and dislikes spoken as they appear in the film

-The protagonist's every day life is shown in a series of short (1-5 second) clips- doing every day tasks such as walking to school or packing their bag

-Again in 'Love Actually' style, from the opening credits where there is a grid of short clips of each person that links to the rest of the film

-Circular narrative like the short films I did a textual analysis of

It shows insight into not just the protagonist's life but those around them too, much like the word Sonder suggests. It is avant-garde as there is a creative aspect in the idea and is unique and far from traditional genre conventions.

My idea is in a basic form currently and will be developed a lot further in the production of the film; another thing I love about the genre is how easy it is to develop your idea while creating it and it has the unexpected showing.


My film idea is unique and away from convention because in the majority of films they are not only focussed on the negative and how the characters develop form that but within the characters themselves they always follow typical conventional forms, such as the pretty blonde or the fat best friend. In my film I am focusing on the lives of ordinary people that you would see around, not a glorified version. It is a natural form and gives the audience an insight into the lives of ordinary people like them, not characters that they hope to be and will never be. They can relate to the film and it will make them think, as they begin to realise that other people exist with lives just like their own (as the subject of the film suggests).

My audience, genre, and narrative choices for my film

GENRE

My chosen genre is avant garde. It is my favourite genre and one that I am very interested in, so I thought it would suit if I made my film in a genre I'm passionate about. I am inspired by other films of this genre that use techniques I love and want to take forward into my own film; an example of this is Amelie. It is an eponymous French film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, a director that I love for his creative and beautiful film works.

AUDIENCE

I have decided that my film will have quite a wide audience that is suitable for people of most ages, genders, ethnicity, etc. Specifically for age I think people aged 15+ would be interested in watching it as it is based around a person of a similar age and they could find it relatable.
Additionally it is an unusual topic and one that is away from the traditional films targeted at that age.
I created this survey using SurveyMonkey:


Create your own user feedback survey

I asked 8 people to complete it. I found that while avant garde wasn't the most popular genre for an audience age 15+, most were still willing to watch a film of that genre even if it wasn't their first choice, as long as it interested them. I know that avant garde isn't generally a well known or popular genre of choice which I have taken into account when considering my survey results, however knowing that it is still something people of my target group would watch I still want to make my film in that genre.

NARRATIVE

My film will be from a third person narrative but based around the life of one person; it will have multiple bursts of narration covering some scenes with background music over the rest. I love the idea of simple third person narration over film as it gives the audience extra information while allowing them to focus on the film itself.

Second a day films

I have done research via YouTube on films created by filming a second a day for a length of time. I love films created this way as they are unique and, while they don't necessarily follow a straight plot, tell a story through each clip as it shows every day life without being scripted.

This film shows a second a day of the first year of a baby's life. It shows growth of the child and how it develops over time, but is entertaining to watch as it is down to earth and shows the best parts of normal life.

This is a technique that inspires me and is one that I'd love to experiment with in the production of my own film.

Here I have tested out putting multiple second-long clips together on iMovie. It was very easy to create; I filmed a second of simple and everyday occurrences for a few days and ran them together. To improve on this technique if I were to feature it in my film I would possibly have clips that are up to 5 seconds long so it is more detailed and shows a story, and I would use background instrumental music to keep it entertaining.

Introduction of sound to film

Sound was introduced to film in 'The Jazz Singer' (1927). With the introduction of sound and development in editing and camerawork, the Classic Era and IMR were soon begun.

Techniques used in the IMR include no Point Of View shots and exaggerated gestures. Early cinema was made up of silent films and was very melodramatic, which provided great entertainment to the audience.

The Lumiere Brothers sparked a movement of creating films with meaning. They created comedy sketches, which previously appeared rarely if ever and was an exciting development in the growing film industry. The Lumiere Brothers were creating films form 1895 to 1897; come 1902 films were beginning to take shape with full plots and storylines and purposeful backstories. An example of this development is in Georges Melies' "A Trip to the Moon". This is an obvious way of looking at how directors were coming up with more unique and greater ideas for film.

When it comes to the IMR, it is the more dominant mode of film construction in film theory. It became the norm to use this mode by 1914. Subtitles, panning, and close-ups were commonly used, especially after DW Griffiths (1915) - known as the creator of Modern Film - used these conventions in his filmmaking. By 1927 sound was starting to become frequently used alongside the films, which created the conventional style of films used today when combined with Griffith's techniques. One of the first films to use sound alongside the film was 'The Jazz Singer' (shown below).

The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

"The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is a compendium of invented words written by John Koenig. Each original definition aims to fill a hole in the language—to give a name to emotions we all might experience but don't yet have a word for.
The author's mission is to capture the aches, demons, vibes, joys and urges that roam the wilderness of the psychological interior. Each sorrow is bagged, tagged and tranquilized, then released gently back into the subconscious."

 The dictionary of obscure sorrows creates short films based around the definition of this compendium of words. They have no plot and no storyline; they just show examples of the definition in a series of short clips and various effects and narration. I like the way the channel created their videos based around a single word and took it to another level by using multiple short clips to make it more creative- easily fitting into the avant-garde genre. Building a short film form a single stimulus fascinates me because it shows there are no boundaries to creativity and you can do a lot with such a small original idea. I would like to take the idea of using a single word to build a film into the production of my short film.

This is one of the short films that the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows has created, based around the word 'Opia'- the ambiguous intensity of eye contact. In this film I love the way the theme is continually shown in each clip and all based around its stimulus, aided by narration. It isn't rushed and takes the audience smoothly through each clip, however I would be more interested in watching the film if it had more of a plot. If I were to make a film similar I would try to include some sort of storyline in it so the audience has something more to watch- it would be obviously based around the stimulus, but have some background to it too.

My favourite genre of film

My favourite genre of film is avant garde. I'm interested in art and I love the creativity shown through this genre; it is unique and unusual and very interesting to watch. I like how in avant garde films they usually take a simple idea and transform it into an interesting and developed motion picture; it shows the creativity and interest of the director and that they are passionate about what they are doing to put all; the effort and art into the creation of the film.

Markers

A marker is a media language choice which provides information to audiences quickly and economically. This is key to all types of media text, but is essential in short films.

Markers provide information about:

-Location (geographical marker)
-The time or era the text is set in (temporal or historical marker)
-Genre of the text (generic marker)
-Information about the characters (character marker)

Textual Analysis of Pudding Bowl

'Pudding Bowl' is a short film directed by Vanessa Caswill (7:52). The plot of it is centred around a little girl named Ivy whose older brother pours glue on her hair while she is dreaming of having a stylish hairstyle like the models in the magazines she is cutting up, resulting in her mother giving her a bowl haircut. She takes revenge on her brother by stealing his bike and riding it down the street, imagining she is one of the models in her magazines.

EDITING

• Blurred imagery is used when the camera angle is from Ivy's POV without her glasses, to show how bad her vision is
• A swipe is used across the screen to indicate the passing of time
• Rapid and short cuts are used during Ivy's haircut to show the harshness of the act

CAMERAWORK

• Extreme close up on Ivy's concentrating face to show innocence and naivety
• Brutality of the mother shown in close up of her using the meat mincer
• Metaphor shown through low angle shot where the hair falls onto the camera to represent Ivy's dreams of having beautiful hair being cut from her

SOUND

• Melancholy background instrumental used for empathy from the audience when Ivy looks at her new haircut in the mirror
• Little dialogue t show how Ivy has no input or control of actions taken within the family- no voice
• The mother's loud and harsh voice shows her aggression and how strict she is
• Happy and upbeat music plays at the end to show Ivy's celebration at getting revenge on her brother

MISE-EN-SCENE

• 50s setting- time period clothes and popular hairstyles
• Kitchen equipment from the 50s
• Ivy crumpling the image of a model in her hand as her mother cuts her hair symbolises her dreams being crumpled

Why research is important

It is vital to the success of my short film that I do sensible and purposeful research in the planning and production stages, as it will give me information that could have an impact on how I do it.


Research methods such as surveys and focus groups give honest information from my target audience- this is useful to figure out what to put in my film that would make my target audience enjoy it to its best potential. Doing this method of research is sensible because it means I have considered what y target audience actually wants to see, as opposed to just assuming they would like it. Additionally with doing a survey I can design the questions towards what I know would help me the most in the production stages. On the other hand, secondary research such as looking through magazines show what is popular at the time of production and so I can reflect on that to fit with what audiences want to see.

Advantages and Disadvantages of various research methods

This prezi shows the numerous different ways of doing research to prepare for making a short film. Some of the methods have more pros than cons (and vice versa), however some methods suit people more than others so any can be used as long as they are done correctly. For my own short film I think I would prefer to use industry websites, surveys/questionnaires, textual analysis, search engines, TV, and magazines as they are more independent and accessible forms of researching and I believe the use of any of these will give me reliable information that I can put forward in the process of making my short film.

Different Research Methods

 »Primary/Field Research

-The collection of data that does not already exist. For example: questionnaire, interviews. 

*This is effective because you know exactly what you are looking for

»Secondary Research

-Using someone else's findings to help your research. For example: newspapers, magazines, internet.

*Most people doing research start by using secondary sources. 

PINK=PRIMARY
BLUE=SECONDARY

 

 

 

Roles in a short film

There are many roles for people take up in order for a short film to be created successfully.
These are:

• DIRECTOR

The director has control over the entire project from the beginning of the making of the film to the end.

• PRODUCER

The producer oversees the organisation of the film and its entire team, including the rights of the film.

• LINE PRODUCER

Ensures that the film comes in on time and on budget.

• DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

In charge of the technical side of the film, including how it is lit and shot.

• PRODUCTION DESIGNER

They create the style of the set

• GAFFER

Chief lighting technician

• EDITOR

Cuts the film together

• HAIR AND MAKEUP

In charge of the organisation, design, and execution of hair and makeup for all cast members. Crucial for portraying detail in time period film.

• STORYBOARD ARTIST

Works with the director to create the film shot by shot in storyboard form to make it easier to follow in creation.

• CAST

Everyone with a part in the film itself that is shown to the audience

As I am making a short film with limited availability for casting and people to fill job roles, the majority of these listed roles will be taken up by me. For this reason I need to make sure I focus on having good organisation in my filmmaking process so I reach full potential in taking up all of these roles.

Differences between short and feature films

Differences between short and feature films	SHORT	FEATURE
Length	<20 minutes	>1.5 hours
Budget	v small/zero	millions $$$
Equipment	Minimal use of props, land, studio, etc	Budget is big enough for available use of anything
Where shown	DVD/TV, youtube (small audience)	Cinema
Cast	Lesser known, amateur	A-listers, Hollywood
Reason	To convey a message	To generate revenue
Character focus	Significant only to the protagonist, only one life in detail	Explanation behind character backgrounds, sub-plots
Team	One team/person to cover director, producer, editing, casting, etc.	Many teams for many functions
Marketing/advertising	Free social media etc. used to get film noticed	Budget sectioned for major part on marketing

Examples of short films with a circular narrative

Most circular narrative short films appear to have some kind of journey, of an object or people.

MONEY MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND- 4:39

"In this film we followed a 5 dollar note as it makes its journey through different situations."

This short film consists of a very simple and straightforward plot that leads the audience on with little to no guesswork on the audience's part. While not rushed it does move on to each part smoothly and quickly. It has no dialogue, rather giving additional information through CGI and Fx animation. It is shown in the point of view of many people through POV shots, always focusing on the movement of the money rather than the person themselves, though the animation gives subplots and additional information to the person handling the money to assist the main plot. The circular narrative was easy to follow as the plot was so simple and straightforward it was easy to bring it back to where it started.

CIRCULAR NARRATIVE- 1:50

This short film consists of many second-long clips and images that build up the plot. There is no dialogue, rather a fast paced instrumental background tune. It uses various angled shots and midshots to portray what the director wanted to show the audience. The images shown are snapshots into the events surrounding the short film that give clues as to what the person shown in all of the clips has done. The circular narrative brings the audience back to wondering what happened much as it did at the beginning.

After looking at these short films and researching the circular narrative, I have decided that I would like to use a circular narrative in my own short film. I like the way the story is brought back to the beginning to give it a more complete ending and leads the audience to where they started, but with more background knowledge and are able to understand the reasoning for the same start as the end. Another thing with circular narrative that I like is how it gives an opening that the audience can question, making them want to continue watching to find out why it is like that. I could apply this to my short film and take the audience step by step through finding out why the beginning is like it is and repeat it for the ending.

Conventions of short films

What is a media code?

• Codes are systems of signs, which create meaning
• They are divided into two categories: Technical and Symbolic

TECHNICAL

-specific

-equipment

-camerawork

-editing

-lighting

-sound

SYMBOLIC

-vague

-multiple/hidden meanings

-represents something

-what the audience gets out of it (eg use of colour)

Technical codes are all the ways in which equipment is used to tell the story in a media text.

Symbolic codes have a focus on the audience's point of view and what they take from the use of symbolism, for example a fade to black could signify a character dying- it's about what the audience interpret from it until it is shown to them. It is the signs contained in the narrative that we decode as being significant and having meaning. Mise-en-scene is a huge part of symbolic code.

Codes and conventions are used together in any study of genre- it is not enough to discuss a technical code used (eg sound technique), without saying how it is conventionally used in a genre.

For example, the technical code of lighting is used in some way in all film genres.

MEDIA PRODUCERS ENCODE MEANINGS

MEDIA CONSUMERS DECODE MEANINGS

Classic Hollywood Cinema

The six principle characteristics of classical Hollywood cinema, according to Bordwell and Thompson, are;

1. Individual characters as casual agents
2. Desire
3. Change in characters
4. Appointments/deadlines
5. Opposition that creates conflict
6. Closure