Pre-prod. Concept - Brief

UNIT BRIEF - PRE PRODUCTION PACKAGE

For this 3rd year unit we've been given the task of creating a fully developed pre-production package for either a major or hypothetical project. The major would then be carried out come January, where as the hypothetical would be complete and finished with in December. However you would then have to jump on board with a Major pre-production package post December time, and choose a delegated role to take on within that production. 

For this unit I have chosen to work with Aimee to create a hypothetical pre-production package in the hope that we can create something unique and really innovative. We do have a plan for after this project finishes, we will jump on board with Callum & Will to participate in their Major project and fill in work roles. I will be taking on the DP role, and Aimee the editor. 

IDEAS

Even though the unit has just started, concepts have been thrown around but it's just about finding the right one and which has the best direction & outcome. We've been discussing certain topics and found that we want to look into social media groups/reenactment groups/groups within subcultures. Some of the terms are quite broad, so it's just about narrowing it down and finding a narrative amongst it all. 

We have a talking point, so it's a start. Now we just have to research each discussed topic and see if we can find a story out of them.  

Transitions: Cinematography Statement

I started this unit with some kind of idea of what my aesthetic would be and how it would evolve through this project. As the script was quite heavy with the dialogue, it was up to be & the director to try and make it as visually engaging as possible, without disrupting the narrative and taking away from the dialogue itself. 

Choices and why
- Continuous shot: 
This was a decision made by Oliver, but was meant with some controversy over its usage, as some members of the group didn't feel it was necessarily working. However myself and Oliver believed in the shot, and with feedback from Simon saying it was an original idea that did in fact work, made us feel right to push through with the proposed shot. 

- Handheld: 
A lot of the handheld footage was just improvisation, obviously the actors had their blocking done beforehand but it was really whatever felt right we just went with. I felt maybe i wasn't as experimental with the handheld as now looking back on the footage, that i could of been with it. Next time i'll know to not sit on the fence and question it, but just throw myself into the creative rhythm of it.  

- Long take of tying up body:
Not too sure if this really worked but after liaising with the director in regards to this shot, of how it would look post-edit, that i realised that it has the potential to succeed. 

There was some key coverage that was attained through just thinking of the edit, in my mind i'm imagining what Aimee will appreciate, and i'm shooting scenes knowing that she will understand, and bring her particular creative eye and sensibility to the arrangement of the material. Shooting for the edit is always key and especially if you know the person, it gives you more of a target to aim for, in terms of her style and what she would like to edit & how she puts her mark on the end product. 

Working with the director on this project was very smooth in the sense that both of our creative outputs were on a similar wave length, thus not really clashing a lot with the aesthetic of the content. There may of been one or two ideas thrown out there by myself which were shot down but i'm not the director, so i totally understood that. I felt comfortable enough though to speak my mind and discuss with the director about certain shots so the relationship was that of a good working standard.

Transitions: Colour grading

After the first rough cut viewing with Simon i was tasked with the job to colour grade our footage, as the majority of it was fairly yellow and the white balance being totally off in some scenes. 

I've done some exploration into the world of colour grading, but i feel i've only touched the tip of the iceberg in terms of knowledge and experience. Colour grading is a whole skillset on its own and for that reason it needs to be approached with great attention and care. 

(Colour wheel)

This is how the majority of our first half footage looks like, this slightly off yellow colour, especially on the skin tones. This needed resolving quickly as it definitely wasn't the desired effect we were looking to have on our characters since it does not convey the overall tone & aesthetic we were wishing to go for.

Then i began to colour correct it, which took me quite sometime to get it right, but after deep research & a few Youtube tutorials i had began to understand how to remove the yellow-iness and fix the problem. I pulled the colour wheel from central position, towards the opposite colour of yellow/orange, to blue/teal colours, to balance it out. However you had to be precise & accurate as if you pulled it over too much you'd then get a blue tint on the footage.

Overall i'm not massively satisfied with the colour correcting on the footage and i think i'll be correcting it until the last minute, but its been improved upon from the first viewing. Lighting & using the camera efficiently are key and could save us from this trouble in the first place. 

Transitions: First edit review with Simon

The first rough cut review went better than i expected, though there is still obviously lots of work with the footage to be done. Now everything is on the timeline however, we can now begin to delve deeper into the editing process and really play with the colour grading & sound to give it a cinematic aesthetic. 

Feedback - 
- Needs severe colour grading, which will be done by myself. 
- Needs tighter edits, quicker paced through out towards the end of the sequence.
- Needs cutting down, as it's currently too long.
- End sequence needs refining.
- Opening sequence needs to be cut quicker. 
- Sound needs refining & bringing more emphasis on visuals.

I was given the personal task of colour grading the whole sequence, which is a relatively big task as our footage was slightly yellow throughout up until the last scene, as that's when the natural light finally reaches the basement. 

On the whole, i was satisfied with the feedback given to us from Simon, we had clarity on some issues regarding a few shots, resulting in us being able to move and cut some footage out as it was pretty useless. Now it's just focusing on the edit, with colour grading and sound being the main focal point.  

Transitions: Critical Reflection

I can't believe it's came to an end so quickly! To think 9 months ago i was just beginning second year, and now finishing it. This unit hadn't came at the most practical time, starting right before we were about to hand in & complete our 'As Live' production unit, but it's probably fair that we were given enough time to get something done, possibly not what we set out to achieve, but something of decent quality. 

Pre-Production
I felt in our planning/pre-production stage, we were very much on top of things in regards to casting, booking out equipment, camera preparation etc. I was particularly happy with how we all worked as a team, it made things generally smoother, efficient and allowed us more room to manoeuvre if certain things were to go wrong, we'd have possibly more time on our hands due to being very prepared, i.e having our initial first shoot day being scrapped and turned into a test-shoot day. Possibly me and Oliver could of mapped out a complete storyboard for the entirety of the sequence, however it wasn't necessary as the final sequence was less structured camera wise than the rest of the narrative.  

(The Cast)

Production
On the shoot day, everyone was prepared and ready. We got to our shoot location (my basement) for 9:30am, and shooting began roughly at around 10am. We flew through the first half of the script, allowing us to have a quicker lunch. It was a very efficient day, with everyone having such a high level of concentration & commitment as with actors who you've never met before, it's a instinctive reaction to want to impress and show your professionalism. All in all i was impressed with myself and everyone's professional behaviour on shoot, however obviously looking back on some of the footage now, knowing that i was in charge of it, there's definitely room for improvement. I need to be more concise with my shots, more thoughtful, provocative & if i'm going to use handheld i need to fully jump into that aesthetic and not sit on the fence & shy away. Also the white balance in a lot of the footage is way off and i'm frankly quite pissed at myself. The lights within the basement were yellow but the tones were off on the faces, it's not until you get through towards the middle/end of the sequence that the yellow-iness begins to wear off due to the sun creeping in & balancing it all out. Me and Oliver worked very well together, we both had very similar visions in terms of how we wanted it shot, and the coverage we acquired was down to us both wanting to get as much as we possibly could, because we knew when it would come back to the edit, we'd have a vast amount of footage for Aimee to play with. 

(Good Time)

Post-Production
As the filming had only just finished on the 8th, Aimee our editor had a lot on her hands, as deadline was round the corner coming to hit us all on the 16th May. She was very prepared though as on the day of shooting she was already taking the SD Card out of the camera & editing footage immediately. Still, we knew it was going to be a tough edit, so we'd planned to meet up every day we possibly could to get through the edit together and help Aimee out where we could. On the edit viewing, i was tasked with helping her with colour correcting. I've never really delved into colour editing as i know it's a job in itself and there is a vast amount of information you should really know before doing it, but it's all about learning and developing your knowledge on new & existing elements. I'm happy with how the edit has turned out, it's unfortunate we didn't have certain shots to make the edit that bit more eclectic but that's due to me and i hold my hands up for that. Sound is also a key thing with this sequence, and it needs to have the right tone and match the aesthetic which i feel it does on many levels. 


What worked
What i felt definitely did go well through the project was the harmonious team spirit and energy that every individual brought with them. Having never previously worked with any of the members i am currently with, it was a fresh change, and i rather enjoyed it. As well as this, technically, certain camera angles did pay off in the end, like the continuous shot that had some serious doubters. I'm pretty stoked with the amount of coverage that we acquired, i feel Aimee had a fair bit to play with and for an editor i know that's a dream come true. Overall though i'm happy with how well we represented ourselves on set with the cast, it was very professional, diligent and competent.  


What could be improved
With every unit comes looking back at your work and critiquing where appropriate to learn from your mistakes. With being the camera operator there were definitely many aspects that can be improved, one being to have awareness of all the camera presets & settings, to have it on settings that suit you and the tone you're trying to capture. Another issue is making sure you're happy with what you see in the view finder, if you're not sure, get it onto a laptop and see how the footage looks there. With this unit in particular i found it hard to gauge the footage on the view finder as it appeared to be okay. It's beginning to seem that i'm working my way slowly to the more technical aspects of the camera, like the white balance, picture profiling, playing with colour manipulation & all of the other discrete functions within the Panasonic DVX200s, so it's just becoming more observant and aware of the functionalities of them, to become more instinctive with them & for them to feel natural in your hands.

What have I learnt
There are many things over the course of this unit that i've picked up along the way, one being to how to change the presets on the Panasonic's to your preference. This came in handy when i was trying to get Peaking up on the view finder just so i could tell what was in focus or not. I really just began to get very familiar with the Panasonic, figuring out more and exploring with certain settings that i wouldn't of dared to do before. My confidence with camera operating as a whole has definitely  increased and that's down to just using the camera's more and having more awareness visually of what looks aesthetically pleasing. 



Conclusion
Overall, i'm pretty satisfied with how this whole unit has went in terms of all the technical aspects and production planning. It could of only been done with the team around me as each individual brought a special something to the group that no one else could of. I did worry about this unit if i'm being honest, as my feelings now are still pretty conflicted, as in many respects i feel it came at such an awkward time it's tough for us to get out of this unit what we should of realistically got out of it, and that will be evident in our work. However saying that, i think it is a great eye opener for next year, and if we're already focusing and honing in on our individual roles now, then we've got the whole summer to plan and prepare meticulously for when 3rd year comes along. I can see the benefits to the unit massively, but it was also a burden. 

Transitions: Research into Sean Price Williams

It is my desire, after i finish this course to pursue camera operating in some form or shape, so for this unit i wanted to take up the role of DOP, and further develop, focus and critique my skills associated with the role. 

So i decided to do some exploration and research into certain cinematographers that i feel have a distinctive style, technical competence and an aesthetic that i really enjoy to watch. One of the cinematographers that i have chosen to explore further & take inspiration from is the super talented, Sean Price Williams. 

 (Sean Price Williams) 

His work on his latest film, Good Time, was an electrifying and exceptional piece, shot on 2-perforated 35mm kodak, giving that eclectic & visually powerful aesthetic.

“I have an abiding love for film and love watching films shot on film. It’s a flexible, versatile recording medium that you can use to create very nostalgic or naturalistic aesthetics. But I also like to electrify the filmed image and colors, especially strong colors, look great on film. Combined with its grain structure, film is made for a stimulating picture that is easier to create on set and more interesting to watch than a digital interpretation. Film sees what is in front of you on set; it’s alive.” 

Sean Price Williams - May 22nd 2017

The film Good Time is shot so beautifully, with its colours popping out, high saturation, and grain to give it that film texture feel, every shot had it's own narrative and that's why i found it so special and engaging to watch.

 (Good Time)

 With the films use of low light being heavily utilised, to create such powerful visual imagery, it puts focus on the characters and the chaos surrounding them. It also puts great emphasis on the psychology perspective of each character, as each character has different lighting staged behind them, evidently conveying a clear indication to the mind of the character at play. 
                                                                                                                                                               

       These two single shots, are actually both of these characters having a frantic conversation about what there plan of action is in regards to the plot. (How to get Robert Pattinson's brother out of hospital) - Pictured left, is Robert Pattinson, pictured right, Buddy Duress, both characters are in totally different psychological states and that is beautifully captured by the lighting within this sequence. Robert is in a state of panic, desperation and rage, whereas Buddy is in a state of hopelessness, shock & confusion as this is at the point in the narrative where he has just been mistakenly taken out of hospital as Robert thought that he was his brother. (That was a major spoiler so to whoever is reading this, i am deeply apologetic). These images put into simple terms how effective lighting can be for a scene and how they can be pivotal to the narrative plot, adding a deeper layer of structure and meaning that couldn't necessarily be captured by other ways so subtly. 

“It’s a pretty crazy movie, and we made it in our normal gonzo style – no marks for the actors, dark and difficult exposures, always chasing the action around. Essentially, we make production as hard as possible. And the immediacy of this punk style of filmmaking translates into an unmistakeable on-screen energy.”

Sean Price Williams - May 22nd 2017

I've always been super keen on shooting with film, be it super 8, or 16mm, but its always been the issue of money & how expensive it is to buy and then get developed. I love the textures that you can achieve and the overall aesthetic, something which you can't really capture on digital, unless you have some super kit, and lots of post-production effects. I think potentially in the summer i'll invest in a 16mm, or go for the Panasonic GH5s, as it's low light performance is that of similar ilk to the Sony a7s ii, but again money is always an issue!

All in all, it's been an interesting read up on this guy, and i'm sure his work in the future will be even more mind-bending and visually compelling just like his work has been up until this point. A lot has been taken away from his work, like his interpretation of how to manipulate low light situations, to the hand-held anarchic character led sequences, he is a very talented individual to say the least. 

- https://www.kodak.com/GB/en/motion/Blog/Blog_Post/?contentId=4295002297

(Link for quotes)

Transitions: Research into Emmanuel Lubezki

Another cinematographer i've decided to research for this unit to give me a better understanding of the discipline, is Emmanuel Lubezki. 

Lubezki began his career in Mexican film and television productions in the late 1980s. His first international production was the 1993 independent film Twenty Bucks (1993), which followed the journey of a single twenty-dollar bill. 

Lubezki is a frequent collaborator with fellow Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón. The two have been friends since they were teenagers and attended the same film school at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Together they have worked on six motion pictures: Sólo con tu pareja (1991), A Little Princess (1995), Great Expectations (1998), Y Tu Mamá También (2001), Children of Men (2006), and Gravity (2013). 

(Emmanuel Lubezki)

I decided to research Lubezki, due to some of the shots created within our project as i felt they were of similar essence to him. Also, one other major reason i decided to delve into his work is because i find it so aesthetically captivating and pleasing to the eye. His distinctive style within close vicinity, capturing pure emotion so close to the characters, it's a very interesting way to capture such pure authenticity. 

(Children Of Men)

His work on the film Children Of Men will always be remembered for breaking the boundaries of camera work, especially the infamous car sequence which was taken in one shot with a few magic edits. This in my mind was some sort of reasoning to justify to try and pull off our one shot sequence, it was an audacious shot but if it was convincingly shot then it would seriously pay off.
Link - 

(Car sequence)

You feel as if you're there, within the confines of the car, next to all of the characters, unable to escape the terror that unfolds around them. It puts emphasis on the action, increasing that intensity of the world that they're trapped in. It's such a distinctive style and i've never watched anything so captivating visually in comparison to that sequence since.  

(Revenant) 

His cinematography work regarding Revenant was in some respect very similar, it gets close and intimate with characters, allowing the audience to feel as if you're sharing this experience with them. It allows you to kind of imagine what the character is going through and how hard they're suffering throughout the gruelling narrative. Its use of wide angle lenses allows for that, as you can get in seriously close, which sometimes throughout the film would have the audience be able to see the breath coming out from Leo's mouth. It's a very immersive way of filming which i find extremely intriguing & beautiful to watch. It uses a lot of immense handheld footage, throwing you right into the action again allowing for that immersive experience, i.e when he is being chased by the native american group, it adds greater emphasis on the intensity, location and aesthetic. 

All in all, researching this guy was a lot of fun, from a few interviews he seems like a really down to earth character, with a vast amount of knowledge on cinematography and film in general. His work will always be remembered for sure, having won 3 Oscars, i think it's safe to say he has been cemented in the history of cinematography & film forever.