In sound & vision our 7th entry into our portfolio is a 5-8min individual video project, the proposal had to be completed by the 17/3/10. Here is mine.
For my individual project I aim to do a video montage of football tricks and skills.
The montage will be set in various locations around West Wiltshire and will essentially follow the ball all the way. The ball will always enter from the left of the screen and exit to the left, this is to give the impression that the ball is on a continuous journey throughout the montage.
It will be set to music which I will compose using Logic. I aim to produce a samba style music piece as skills and tricks are notoriously associated with Brazilian football.
I have a huge interest in football so it will be an opportunity to express one of my loves in a artistic manner. Football is also a worldwide language therefore it is a popular topic to produce a video on.
I hope people will enjoy watching the video, but I also hope it will give them confidence to attempt some of the tricks themselves as it the video aims to show you don't have to be a pro or even a football freestyler to put the 'beautiful' in the beautiful game.
Friday, 19 March 2010
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
Storyboard for Maisy and Jim
Last Friday we were instructed to create a storyboard for a scene involving 2 characters. Edem, Mandy and I went to the location and took pictures of each shot we wanted to get.
It was a lot harder than I thought and certainly gave me more respect for film makers and directors as they are so many issues to consider when getting a shot. The position of the camera has to reflect who is the main person in the scene and the 180 degree rule is also a big factor to keep the shots consistent.
You also have to consider objects in the background of the shot especially windows. Also for the first time we were having to choreograph characters movement to give us a better idea of shots. This is difficult becase there has to be a reason behind each movement a character makes to add something to the story.
Below is a quick time video we made of our shots.
Embedding isn't working so click here for link.
It was a lot harder than I thought and certainly gave me more respect for film makers and directors as they are so many issues to consider when getting a shot. The position of the camera has to reflect who is the main person in the scene and the 180 degree rule is also a big factor to keep the shots consistent.
You also have to consider objects in the background of the shot especially windows. Also for the first time we were having to choreograph characters movement to give us a better idea of shots. This is difficult becase there has to be a reason behind each movement a character makes to add something to the story.
Below is a quick time video we made of our shots.
Embedding isn't working so click here for link.
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
Research into fight scenes
For our short movie 'Fightback' we will be using fight scenes to open and end the movie, so I decided to do some research to see what makes a successful movie fight scene
300 fight scene - unfortunately the embedding option has been disabled.
In the 300 scene the use of sound and speed of the images creates a heroic atmosphere. The sound is slightly distorted apart from the sound of the sword which is very clean and stands out. This immediately establishes the sword holder (King Leonidas) as the hero in the scene and shows him as the one with the power.
I like the way certain parts of the scene have been slowed down. it is especiialy effective at 1:00 to 1:07 as it is then speeds up with the movement of the sword.
The Rocky 4 fight scene is one of my favourites. The first thing you notice is the cheesy motivational music which is a key feature in all the Rocky films. We all know that the music is corny yet cannot help but be inspired by it and get carried away with the fight. The choice of shots is also interesting.
I like the shots of the corner teams breaking up the fight as well as the shots of the audience. It allows you to feel like you really are part of the Rocky corner as they show the same emotions you are feeling.
The crowd noise is also apparent in the scene. It really reflects whether or not Drago or Rocky are on top in the fight, and then the change of the crowd cheering Rocky is allied by the commentator to give it extra affect.
The round changes are also presented well with a weak transparent board showing the changes. This allows the audience to know how long the fight has been going on for without breaking up the flow.
For use in the final fight scene in Fightback we could use distorted sound and make the gloves and punches stand out above crowd noise. We could also slow down part of the scene before the knock out and possibly emphasise a heartbeat to increase the tension and hook the audience.
In Taken the camera shots during the fights interest me. Most of the fights have close up camera shots. Although this limits how much of the fight the audience can see, it gives the effect of being involved. The audience have to work hard to keep up with the fight and it shows the true realities because the choreography is not as obvious than if if it was film as a MS or WS.
This video is interesting as it gives an insight into how fight scenes are made. Obviously in creating a short movie with limited (or no) funding and time constraints we cannot take crash courses in martial arts or use green screens as they do in book of Eli. However, we can see how much work goes into creating the scene. It is important to run it through slowly a number of times before shooting the scene in normal time. We could always shoot the scene slower and speed it up in post production, this could make the picture seem jumpy though and may not be the effect we want. If possible I would prefer to shoot the fights in real time, but understand this will take spot on choreography and plenty of practice to do it safely.
300 fight scene - unfortunately the embedding option has been disabled.
In the 300 scene the use of sound and speed of the images creates a heroic atmosphere. The sound is slightly distorted apart from the sound of the sword which is very clean and stands out. This immediately establishes the sword holder (King Leonidas) as the hero in the scene and shows him as the one with the power.
I like the way certain parts of the scene have been slowed down. it is especiialy effective at 1:00 to 1:07 as it is then speeds up with the movement of the sword.
The Rocky 4 fight scene is one of my favourites. The first thing you notice is the cheesy motivational music which is a key feature in all the Rocky films. We all know that the music is corny yet cannot help but be inspired by it and get carried away with the fight. The choice of shots is also interesting.
I like the shots of the corner teams breaking up the fight as well as the shots of the audience. It allows you to feel like you really are part of the Rocky corner as they show the same emotions you are feeling.
The crowd noise is also apparent in the scene. It really reflects whether or not Drago or Rocky are on top in the fight, and then the change of the crowd cheering Rocky is allied by the commentator to give it extra affect.
The round changes are also presented well with a weak transparent board showing the changes. This allows the audience to know how long the fight has been going on for without breaking up the flow.
For use in the final fight scene in Fightback we could use distorted sound and make the gloves and punches stand out above crowd noise. We could also slow down part of the scene before the knock out and possibly emphasise a heartbeat to increase the tension and hook the audience.
In Taken the camera shots during the fights interest me. Most of the fights have close up camera shots. Although this limits how much of the fight the audience can see, it gives the effect of being involved. The audience have to work hard to keep up with the fight and it shows the true realities because the choreography is not as obvious than if if it was film as a MS or WS.
This video is interesting as it gives an insight into how fight scenes are made. Obviously in creating a short movie with limited (or no) funding and time constraints we cannot take crash courses in martial arts or use green screens as they do in book of Eli. However, we can see how much work goes into creating the scene. It is important to run it through slowly a number of times before shooting the scene in normal time. We could always shoot the scene slower and speed it up in post production, this could make the picture seem jumpy though and may not be the effect we want. If possible I would prefer to shoot the fights in real time, but understand this will take spot on choreography and plenty of practice to do it safely.
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Fightback - Location
Today I went to Contender Gym in Trowbridge to take photos of one of the locations we are looking to use in our short film. This was done to give us an idea of possible shots we could use when it comes to filming and will save time as we will not have to familiarise ourselves with the layout of the gym and get get right into filming.
From these photos you can see the range of equipment the gym has to offer, and also with a full size ring it opens up the opportunity to not just do training montages here, but also the end fight scene.
All the equipment is well positioned which allows us plenty of scope to set up the shots, and with the room being in a 'L' shape it allows us to experiment with different camera angles.
The photos on the wall are a nice touch, and will add character and a genuine feel to the scenes. The Gym itself is relatively new, being use for around about a year. However, it still has a traditional feel to it which makes it ideal for 2 Kings of the old school way, Stocky and Apollo to train in.
One potential drawback is the positioning of the ring, with 2 windows behind it. This has obvious implications for the light that will be coming through, so we may have to block out the windows or adapt to lighting conditions by filming in the evening.
There are also mirrors situated in the gym, and although there is not many we will need to set up our shots carefully so you don't catch a glimpse of any crew or cameras in the mirrors. This shouldn't be to much of an issue as they are positioned in the corner of the gym. It does also offers us the option of doing a section in the montage on 'stance work' were Stocky and Apollo check theirs in the mirror.
From these photos you can see the range of equipment the gym has to offer, and also with a full size ring it opens up the opportunity to not just do training montages here, but also the end fight scene.
All the equipment is well positioned which allows us plenty of scope to set up the shots, and with the room being in a 'L' shape it allows us to experiment with different camera angles.
The photos on the wall are a nice touch, and will add character and a genuine feel to the scenes. The Gym itself is relatively new, being use for around about a year. However, it still has a traditional feel to it which makes it ideal for 2 Kings of the old school way, Stocky and Apollo to train in.
One potential drawback is the positioning of the ring, with 2 windows behind it. This has obvious implications for the light that will be coming through, so we may have to block out the windows or adapt to lighting conditions by filming in the evening.
There are also mirrors situated in the gym, and although there is not many we will need to set up our shots carefully so you don't catch a glimpse of any crew or cameras in the mirrors. This shouldn't be to much of an issue as they are positioned in the corner of the gym. It does also offers us the option of doing a section in the montage on 'stance work' were Stocky and Apollo check theirs in the mirror.
Friday, 19 February 2010
Character Personalties and Traits
In this post I will be exploring the traits of our lead characters Stocky and Apollo. It is important to establish personalities of characters before we start filming as the relationship between the 2 is essential to the story and the humour of the film.
Character profile - Stocky Bullboa:
Stocky Bullboa is the former heavyweight champion of the world, following a defeat by the widely feared 'Intimidator'. Stocky is single and not close with his family, the only person he had any sort of relationship with was his former trainer Mike Johnston. Unfortunately Mike passed away before the fight with The Intimidator, leading Stocky to take on the fight with no corner man. Stocky grew up in Wigan and joined Mike's boxing gym when he was 8 years old and pulled himself up to be World Heavyweight Champion. Now at 34 years of age following the defeat to The Intimidator many experts believe he is past it and should retire. Stocky also at times struggles from a lack of motivation, which can often be seen in his training.
Stocky has an orthodox stance and is famed for his hooks to the body. However, speed, general defence and technique have been his downfall.
Character profile - Stocky Bullboa:
Stocky Bullboa is the former heavyweight champion of the world, following a defeat by the widely feared 'Intimidator'. Stocky is single and not close with his family, the only person he had any sort of relationship with was his former trainer Mike Johnston. Unfortunately Mike passed away before the fight with The Intimidator, leading Stocky to take on the fight with no corner man. Stocky grew up in Wigan and joined Mike's boxing gym when he was 8 years old and pulled himself up to be World Heavyweight Champion. Now at 34 years of age following the defeat to The Intimidator many experts believe he is past it and should retire. Stocky also at times struggles from a lack of motivation, which can often be seen in his training.
Stocky has an orthodox stance and is famed for his hooks to the body. However, speed, general defence and technique have been his downfall.
Outline for 'Fightback'
This is mine and Edem's outline for out short movie 'Fightback' - Parody.
Scene 1 (Apollo office): Hear radio commentary of Stocky's fight with the Intimadator, Stocky KO. Zooms out to reveal Rocky and Apollo listening to radio, decide to work with eachother.
Scene 2 (Stocky's house): Stocky and Apollo watching real Rocky clip, get inspired.
Scene 3: First training montage, Stocky messes up all excercises.
Scene 4 (Outside Stocky's house): Doorstep Stocky - Intimadator claim "I will crush him" Belittleing Stocky, raises the stakes.
Scene 5: Newly motivated Stocky and Apollo do second training montage (success)
Scene 6 (Dressing room): Apollo motivational speech
Scene 7 (Ringside): Intimadator and Rocky square off, fade to black and hear commentary of end of fight.
(Possible final scene): Rocky and Apollo sparring session
Scene 1 (Apollo office): Hear radio commentary of Stocky's fight with the Intimadator, Stocky KO. Zooms out to reveal Rocky and Apollo listening to radio, decide to work with eachother.
Scene 2 (Stocky's house): Stocky and Apollo watching real Rocky clip, get inspired.
Scene 3: First training montage, Stocky messes up all excercises.
Scene 4 (Outside Stocky's house): Doorstep Stocky - Intimadator claim "I will crush him" Belittleing Stocky, raises the stakes.
Scene 5: Newly motivated Stocky and Apollo do second training montage (success)
Scene 6 (Dressing room): Apollo motivational speech
Scene 7 (Ringside): Intimadator and Rocky square off, fade to black and hear commentary of end of fight.
(Possible final scene): Rocky and Apollo sparring session
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
Documentary Making
For Tuesdays session we have been asked to research documentaries, particularly how they are made and what is involved in the content.
Below are videos I found on YouTube which cover key areas such as subject matter, equipment, music and working within your budget. They give a good outline as to what to do to make a successful documentary with Kevin Lindenmuth giving examples from his own documentary work to support his ideas.
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