Igor Faustino
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Project proposal
Rational
Throughout this year, I have participated in various projects, such as leaning about the principals of filming which has though me the importance of continuity, 180 rule and over all essential film principals. We have also been given the chance to explore film techniques and be able to recreate them. These projects have equipped me with essential skills that will transfer to my upcoming narrative film. The lates projects that we have worked on which was focused on the importance of continuity editing to s file story line. I learned newer smooth transitions techniques, which will enhance my films storyline. And I also learned that how important planing and scripting mt work are for reating a good storyline. The part that i studied experiments are defiantly the one of most challenging project to me and one that has left a thought me the most i the project we where continuously invited to change your skill and knowlage to that maximum of out skill, I have definitely learned and challenged my self in multiple ways in this project, such as having to learn how to use a software that I have never used before such as After Effects which will defiantly be very helpful in this upcoming project, I have also learned how to use fog machine which taught me a lot regarding how to use lighting to frame you subject and much more. Overall, these projects have provided me with a diverse skill set, including video editing, scriptwriting, sound editing, and camera and lighting techniques, all of which will contribute to the professional and captivating nature of my narrative film.
Context
For my final major project, I want to create short film that focuses on the process of creating and ideas and how procrastination plays a role in the day-to-day life of a person who is trying to create or do their work. I'll show this process through my character in my short film called “Alex”. I want to focus on the repetitive attempts to create an IDEA and never getting around to creating one . The short film, "The Period: The Final Idea" (i might still change the name) explore the struggle of procrastination through the eyes of my character, who is inspired by me, someone whos always been in this journey of procrastination and always found something else to do, but focus on the task that is on hand, “Alex” a young student who will be shown as someone struggling with distractions and procrastination and someone that i want my viewer to relate. Alex's daily experiences and internal conflicts will be aimed to create a connection to my viewer and to also bring awareness to those who struggle complex issues that is to creative and productive in a short span of time or for a certain project that doesn't spark you interest. taking this from personal experiences and observations from people around me, the story is aimed to resonate with viewers that face similar challenges, and this short filmed is aimed to create conversations about motivation, priorities, and the issues with concentration .
In this final project, I want this story to show the intricate process of trying to get to your desk and doing your work, and the effects that procrastination has the daily lives of people attempting to create and get their work done. the narrative that i want to show is my character Alex, student who will be going through the labyrinth of distractions that he creates for himself and the procrastination that often present in his attempts to do work. Through Alex's eyes, viewers will be brought into his in the work of the creative process, and the internal conflicts and external distractions full temptations that hinder progress due to his issues with concentration. In the film, I will be incorporating the underlying theme of ADHD into my story, by doing this I will seeking to increase the way my audience will resonate to my story. By authentically portraying Alex's experiences within my own as someone who has always had this struggle I hope that in the ADHD-related challenges will be more authentic and relatable , this narrative is aimed to bring light to the complexities of people with neurodiversity and mental health issues, and hopefully bringing a better understanding and empathy to viewers. To make sure the accuracy and authenticity, of Alexes' issues I will be doing extensive research into the habits and tendencies of individuals with ADHD, i will also be conducting surveys asking people to give me their own experiences with habits and procrastination to hopefully increase the resonance of this short film, and i hope that this will allow me to have a better character development and storyline, enriching the film.
"The Period: The Final Idea" will represents not only a creative journey but also a deeply personal exploration of the issues i struggle with and issues that other people struggle with too. and this will be shown Through the lens of Alex's journey, the film seeks to show a universal issue about creativity, productivity, procrastination, adhd and the relentless pursuit of the "final idea." By bringing audiences to journey alongside Alex's sort of “day in a life style that I want my film to have.
Purpose
My project seeks to execute and push the abilities within visual storytelling, focusing on the subtleties of the creative processes and the creativity behind procrastination. Through Alex's fight with distractions and his journey across the finish line, I hope to enclose a relatable story that viewers, especially those who struggle with these same issues, will find thought-provoking.
This project allows me to experiment with new techniques and approaches to the visual narrative. The internal and external conflicts of Alex are very important to focus on, and I must frame shots and light scenes in such a way that these are being well represented. That being said, it also forces me to look at new, inventive ways of editing and post-production to keep the story smooth and engaging. Balancing procrastination and creativity to avoid the story being over-complicated and abstract will be one of my most enormous struggles with the protagonist while keeping the work accessible and approachable.
This project is relevant to my pathway choice of "Narrative Film" because it offers an opportunity to look at a unique, personal way to tell a story: showing deeper into the daily life of a student dealing with ADHD and procrastination; I want to challenge myself; pushing boundaries in conventional narrative techniques.
For this film, I will use a Lumix GH5 camera with a 24 mm lens at a 1.4 stop to get good shots of the scenes and locations. I will also use the correct lighting and sound equipment to enhance the production values of my piece. With Adobe Premiere Pro, post-production will be conducted to edit the films and create all sorts of VFX, which, by the way, will enhance the necessary words.
Overall, I am very confident that my project will provide a fresh and unique point of view on obstacles that regard creativity and procrastination, specifically from the point of view of an individual with ADHD. By showing these aspects through Alex's point of view, I want to make a very engaging short film that will make people reflect on their own experiences and understand—with their complications—the creative process.
mood board + colour pallet
Project time table
primary Research
voxpops, qurestionairs and what ever else I need will be aded later
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For my primary research I will first conduct be conducting this questionnaire which will work as solid base of research for my short film, by getting firsthand insights into individuals' experiences with procrastination. By understanding the diverse coping mechanisms, triggers, and strategies employed by respondents, I can authentically depict the challenges faced by characters in the film. Additionally, exploring the impact of social media on attention span and productivity will enable me to incorporate relevant themes and dynamics into the narrative, enhancing the film's relatability and resonance with audiences. Overall, this questionnaire aids in crafting a nuanced and realistic portrayal of procrastination in the film, fostering empathy and understanding among viewers.
The role of procrastination on a day to day life:
Respondents admitted that procrastination plays a significant role in their daily lives, suggesting its pervasive influence on productivity and task completion.
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Procrastination during Critical Deadlines:
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Participants noted that procrastination tends to escalate during critical deadlines or tasks, reflecting the heightened pressure and urgency associated with impending responsibilities.
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Effect of Social Media on Attention Span:
Many participants attributed their procrastination to social media distractions, highlighting its detrimental effect on attention span and work efficiency.
Coping Mechanisms:
individuas told a range of distractions they resort to when avoiding tasks, such as gaming, social media scrolling, or engaging in mundane activities.
Distraction Coping Mechanisms:
Individuals disclosed a range of distractions they resort to when avoiding tasks, such as gaming, social media scrolling, or engaging in mundane activities.
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Strategies for Overcoming Procrastination:
Despite the challenges, respondents shared strategies for combating procrastination, including digital restrictions and establishing reward systems to incentivize productivity.
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overall The survey responses have given me a great insight on what I would be able to include in my short film, such as things that people tend to do as a when they are fidgeting\ procrastinating and its impact on individuals' daily lives. While conducting this research social media emerged as the most prominent distraction, and the respondents have given me a more clear insight on how I will be able to make my shortfilm more relatable to my target audience which are people of the age of 16 to 21 who I have interviewed in survey.. By incorporating and by doing this I will be able to portray my characters' struggles with procrastination while exploring the complexities of time management and productivity in modern society.
Secondary Research
Short films
Short films can be a great way to tell a story or convey a message, short films rely on visual storytelling so, they are perfect for experimentation and innovation. In other way, short movies give the best opportunity to getting into the industry as a way to Crete a good portfolio.
Something I am focusing on in my movie is coming of age and the stress that can come along with growing up. Most importantly, it will focus on factors of procrastination and an underlying theme of my character with ADHD. Growing up may be a full o f different experience, and that comes with stresses that our ages. My movie was is intended to depict the theme of a character trying to complete a particular work but constantly getting distracted.
The themes used in coming-of-age movies include identity, growth, and self-discovery. Very often, they include relatable thing of life to bring relatable experiences to the viewer, and that is what I'll be focusing on. They are also a good source of exploring social and cultural issues and can be used to create empathy and understanding amidst the different communities, and this is what I wanna create a way for people that strugle with these issues to know that they are not the only one.
Short films are influential because they inspire people through stories and show people what their experiences look like to others. Another point is that they entertain us while taking a short time and giving an overview of the general information in releasing the film without keeping it long and tedious. They can thoroughly have a significant impact on the audience and raise awareness for one particular topic.
tones
While in researching I came across the movie 'thirteen' created in 2003.which hade an intresting visual astetic to what i had invisioned for my short film
Thirteen follows a young girl Tracy who falls under the influence of rebellious Evie in which she begins to lash out and eventually falls victim to drug addiction. Whilst my project doesn't explore such dark themes I felt that this movie was an accurate display of the pressure faced by young people and focouses on habbits and addiction which are similar themes to what i am adoing for my final major project. I drawn to Tracy's character and decided to bring some of characteristics into my character, in order to more accurately portray the 'teen experience' - whilst this is something unique to all, I felt I could make it somewhat relatable. For example,( this change in colour pallet can happen when Alex is not doing something he enjoys like actuly trying to study everything could become cooler tones , and dopamine induces task like something he enoys colours could turn to a warmer tones). This is something I feel a lot teenagers, not just Tracy, can relate to in terms of growing up and feeling alone in their struggles.
I will also be inspired by the creative decision in this movie in their cinematography and use of colour pallet. The colour pallets used portraits the change in mood and also the occurrences in her life. The short film start with a warmer tone when her life is ok and she is with her friends having fun doing normal teen stuff but, the tone starts to shift to a cooler and grey lighting when she starts to take drugs as well as when her life starts to spiral out of control, the tones continue to intensively get cooler until the resolution of her problems, when the resolution between her and her mother happens we see more use of the warmer tones symbolising her life coming back under her control.
This shows the difference in tonality and colour warmth in the scenes, from the first image were everything was fine and tones where more warmer, to the sudden change in tonality's to a colder colour, when she started getting addicted to drugs and all her issues happened, to the resolution where the tones return to warm and this symbolises that everything will be ok.
HOW WILL THIS BE INCORPORATED INTO MY SHROT FILM?
well for my short film ill create a subtle change in colour tonality of when my character is doing something he enjoys the colour tonality will subtly mote to a more vibrant tone and when his attempt to do his work the colours will become slightly more colder and become more muted.
This video focuses on how a one time thing can turn into an habit or an addiction very quickly. I found this video inspiring because it shows the slow transition of someone relying on a drug to make them feel good again showing a sort of cycle that I want to Crete in my film. They will feel like they can fly and do whatever they want till the drug wears off and then they feel worse than the start, every time they use the drug it wares off faster and they need more to get a better hit. This is an issue with addictions because they can lead to overdoses and use of stronger vices. This will take a key part into what i am going to focus on in my fmp which is related to habits and procrastination in your day to day life's and thing that you use to cope with you issue, and even thing regarding disassociation
The film New York Postcard" by the McGloughlin Brothers unique way of editing and telling a story line, although this film conventions which don't follow a more common linear path of story telling, giving this film a more stylistic and odd narrative to the work. they use other type of conventions in odd ways to tell their sotry such as the use of music and also match cuts to create a new way to tell a story a story. Which i belive that will serve as anew point of reference for my short film, making it more unique and not just some boring short film
The post-production side of New York Postcard while be guide on how I will go about the pre production of my short film. The f techniques, such as the match cuts, does change how I plan to edit my short film, such as having very quick cuts with when my character is procrastination, such as quick match cuts of my character doing different thing to distract him self. Exploring post-production techniques used by the brothers, makes me learn ways in which I can improve my short film. I would like to apply these techniques to my own short film to have a more fast paste to the story making it more fast paste for each cut and visual element, I thing this short fits perfectly into the general narrative and themes that I want to exlore in my work.
In "Social Network" The tones and mood of the film is murky and grey, so he matched this with visual tones. He muted the color palette heavily in the college scenes and limited the depth of field to give a feeling of claustrophobia and subtle intensity and desaturation being the guiding principle for this film COLOURS. I drew inspiration from this and decided to darken the tones of my own project to create this feeling of disassociation and also this and her feeling of isolation. Fincher also uses colors through his characters in the way that they dress. For example, in Benjamin Button, Daisy wears red to show how she is the most important, vibrant person in his life. I will make sure then that when filing for my short film I will also make sure to dress my main character with more muted tones of color such as black, white, and grey to help emphasize her isolation and her feelings of depression, furthermore, the muted color pallet will convey a very industrial look, feeding into the monotonous lifestyle of my character, my aim for my project is to have my character constantly repeating the same action and show the monstrous life that my character is living
Lights Out by director David F. Sandberg is another short film where it has amazing work on lighting could be observed. This horror short also has loads of awards and gained serious attention for the clever, scary use of lighting to keep tension afloat and deliver scares appropriately. Lights Out mainly tells a girl's story who feels that whenever she would turn off the lights something strange and eerie would happen, and this gave at the movie movie, this style of Paranormal Activity. Everything in the film really good, showing how the strategic use of darkness and illumination points out the foreshadowing of horror anytime and anywhere. Lighting becomes the very big part of the story of every character in itself giving the more personality, which, by turn, works like a the start for supernatural events to happen, which is a very common theme in most horror movies. The filmmakers use a basic fear of the unknown, and in the dark this is heightened by the strategic use of lighting throughout the narrative. Which would also enable me to create a way of being able to narrate things through my film simply by focusing the lights/spotlight on objects, for example, when he is looking at an object and the light focuses on it.
The short that showcases a great use of lighting is "Lights Out," directed by David F. Sandberg. This horror short gained has also received loads of award and significant attention for its clever and spine-chilling use of lighting to build tension and deliver scares effectively.
"Lights Out" revolves around a woman who begins to experience eerie and unsettling occurrences every time she turns off the lights, like another movie called paranormal activity. The brilliance of the film lies in its strategic use of darkness and illumination to create a sense\ foreshadow of impending horror. The lighting becomes a a player of ever character in itself, working as the catalyst for the supernatural events that unfold, which is also a very common theme in horror films. The filmmakers capitalize and uses the fundamental fear of the unknown in the dark, and the strategic use of lighting heightens this fear throughout the narrative. Which will also help me create a way of being able to tell thing with my film with just focusing the lights/spotlight in objects such as him looking at an object and the light focuses on it
the shot film Dead Bed is one of the very big inspiration for my filmt, as it shows the daily struggles of getting over your struggles to, like, break free from procrastination. The movie presents how the a man is fighting with himself all the time, and this is what I wanna create for my own short film this kind of style of my character fighting agains him self. He wants to stand up and start working, but his habit of delaying everything he just cant do it. This is somewhat the of the visual style that I would want to for my short film, that tough the process of seeing, the daily attempt of trying and failing to begin work compared with the character from Ded Bead is the visual style that I have chosen for my film. The film pretty much speaks for him self through the visuals and monologue that is played over the character talking about his struggles, and it sets e basis for creating something that will touch the audience who find themselves in similar situations.
motivated lighting
In this video, the technique of motivated lighting is explained very well . it this videos talks about how using visible light sources, like lamps or windows, can create a realistic and more natural look for my scenes. By building by building lighting around these sources, I can enhance the mood and audience’s attention tp what ever I want to show, this technique will defiantly be used in my short film when I light around my characters room because of the lap that he will have in his desk
My research evaluation and how I plan on implementing on my film
How i plan on using camera
Cinematic tools are varied, so to be applied toward making a compelling short film on procrastination and habit, in the event of increasing the quality of the story through visual storytelling. With the use of “Whiplash,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” one can see how dynamic videography, fast cuts, and strategic use of color convey the journey of an artist. Side-by-side comparisons of reference images will allow you to understand the visual cues so you may incorporate these effectively and thereby form a cohesive and great-sounding story that will appeal to all audiences.
How i plan on using colour
Mood and emotion are very important for my short film so that color palettes will underline the theme of procrastination, habits, and ADHD. Drawing inspiration from “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Blade Runner 2049,” I’ll have very silent and noisy moments tinted with vibrant colors, some of them in an introspective or active way, muted. This contrast will mirror an emotional state within the protagonist and work as a tool of visual storytelling, speaking volumes about him. Through the strategic use of colors, I will enrich powerful storytelling and close immersion that would allow the audience even more closely to empathize with the experiences of the protagonist. The color palette would bring out the depth in the internal struggles the character faces together with external conflicts, making the film visually compelling but, at the same time, emotionally resonant. It is really important to keep visual cohesion, and by this, I shall achieve coherence of colors fitting the emotional beats of the film and ensuring the tapestry richness for an immersive experience. This will reinforce the journey of the protagonist and the larger themes of the film overall by making a strong and cohesive whole that resonates with the audience.
How I plan on using sound
Soundtracks are essential about the state of emotion developed and the effectiveness of the resonance of any narrative within a film and if I want mine to generate an impact I must be no different . most director use music to draw audiences into stories, experience emotive responses, to create lasting impressions for viewers. In this project, I will explore the problems dealing with using soundtracks in my short film, showing how transformative their usage can be. Channeling my work towards creating an exciting and captivating film primarily using sound, I will borrow some ideas from various reference films and their cinematic techniques. Furthermore, based on my research, I will describe how the sound is bound to influence or affect my short film since there is less use of extended dialogue.
The soundtrack will very much set the mood and tempo of my short film. As long as the attention remains on the music, there will be the option to make the dialogue lesser so that more attention can be given to the images and the sound. This approach will significantly assist me in creating fundamental rhythm in editing and dynamic cuts. One can get continuous flow transitions within the film. This would also aid in changing the overall pace of the dialogue so that it fits precisely with the beat, similar to a metronome.
Under such budget constraints and potential limitations in actor delivery, the music would afterward be an enormously critical element that must be carefully chosen. Through cutting on the beat and synchronising crucial aspects that occur within its rhythm, a dynamic flow may be created: by such, viewers would be entertained and emotionally attached to the narrative envisioned in the film, throagh this strategic selection and integration of music that the soundtrack will drive the story, bringing the audience along the protagonist’s journey of his habits and procrastination.
ill be doing this to Keep viewers engaged from start to finish, it is important to keep a consistent pace of narration. I one of my main inspiration from the quick edits and dynamic storytelling of films such as “Scott Pilgrim” to create unique and lasting moment that most people would remember and to create peaks and troughs that eventually lead to an explosive climax. By curating a soundtrack that complements the film’s pacing and thematic elements, I intend to create an environment of watching that the audience finds holistically engaging and captivating.
with everyone I have resrched and learned I feel confident that I will to make an effective and impactful short film about procrastination and habits, the most basic techniques of movie-making, along with soundtracks, shall have to be executed appropriately. Playing with references to iconic movies and suitable methods of visionary storytelling, I hope to make a visually mind-blowing film, hits in the gut and speaks to universal questions and experiences. Through the strategic selection and integration of music, I’d be looking forward to creating a dynamic and engaging short film that leaves a lasting impression with audiences
Codes & Conventions
Lighting
How to use lighting
lighting is a basically one of the most fundamental future of in films. Horror movies usually use low-key lighting, which is a very common lighting method used in horror which is also a lighting style that i really enjoy using . This style of lighting has a atmosphere to it that creates mystery, tension and an eerie atmosphere, by hiding details and some elements, such as parts of you characters face being light and only letting you see parts of the face of you character, that type of lighting style inspires my type of filming and i also plan to bring it on my short film. there is also candlelight and moonlight style of lighting and they are used very for their soft and some times flickering quality that i really enjoy and i could also bring that into my film for example with my character lamp in his desk, creating a possible effect of unsettling and tension to scenes that could be very nice. Dark scenes with low lighting are very good ways to have give style to scenes and i could use it for my short film.
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An example of directors that use low key lighting and are also an ispiration to me is the movie The Babadook directed by Jennifer Kent the use of low key light is of great exanple. Low key lighting creates a dark and an eerie atmosphere in her movies, with deep shadows and selective lighting light and dark areas, this director also uses low key lighting to give this movie a sense of claustrophobia and isolation, and the characters are have a very scinister vibe to them due to them bbeing shown in dark places with low lighting and some times only beign shown in silhouettes , which gives to the tension and unease of the film.
Sound
sound is one of the most indispensable tools in film. However, it is also one of the features that so richly make horror films future. Silence or the strategic use of sound gaps can be just as impactful to any horror as any noise that can make or break it in a jump scare scene. A perfect example is in the film A Quiet Place and how it uses silence to create jump scares. The anticipation built from sound gaps brings out a compelling effect when it is broken by sudden noises, which typically come in the form of a jump scare. Things like creaking floors, distant whispers, or the famous laughing girl and howling wind conjure up creepy ambient sounds in a horror film and build a sense of anticipation.n.
what is a anechoic chambers?
An anechoic chamber is a shielded space designed and constructed to resist intrusive electromagnetic waves and suppress the emission of electromagnetic waves to the outside world. Anechoic chambers originated in the early 1950s and were initially used for experiments and research on radio equipment and antennas
The sound designers of A Quiet Place drew inspiration for their sound designe from anechoic chambers, (extremely sound proff rooms) where even the small sounds are amplified, they did this to to create the unique sound design for the film. They aimed to immerse the audience in that sort of setting making the characters' experiences by replicating this effect. ( the sound of nothing) The character Regan that is deaf in the movie, also influenced the sound design, as her experience of sound is different, , the designers based the sound design on their own experiences in the chamber with complete silence, by doing this they used moments in the film of sound and silence to highlight the intensity of the scenes.
Horror films rely heavily in indigestive sounds and the use of foley in its sounds for the movies, foley is usually made in a studio here is a video showing how the sound designers created create the sound effects for each monster in A Quiet Place
sound track
soundtracks in horror films are made to provide fear and increase tension/mood in the film, providing the horror movies with a very eerie kind of mood. Very unconventional sounds are used in horror. A horror movie soundtrack can be quite easily defined by the un usual sound build up build-up in volume that rises with the level of intensity through a particular scene, by doing this they improve the build up through ‘mega loud’ moments meant to leave an audience on its toes. Most of the time, eerie sound effects such as whispers, screams, and distorted sounds make the viewer’s experience more realistic and a lot more scary.
Soundtrack in horrros can also become a iconik link to the movies it self ans sometimes creating huge audiences to the movies such as ‘Halloween’ By John Carpenter in the 1978 movie, that futures the amazing soundtrack called hallowing thta is one of the most iconic soundtracks of all times, and a staple to horror movies
the sound track is incredibly simple with not a big varyety in notes, it has a ver memorable sound to it . This could be because of its haunting dissonance and quick and contante build up to the sound track that could also be just used as a undigestive sound for us viewers, this is because of the sound tracks unsteady and irregular build up to its rhythm.
Horror movies are all about the setting. horrors are usualy set relatively isolated places like remote cabins in forests, haunted houses, or abandoned places. Usually, this is again done with horrors to create an idea that the characters are cut off from the world and alone in places where they won’t want to be heard or have help. Horrors can also occur in everyday settings such as average neighborhoods or family homes or in any location that seems normal gives the illusion of safety associated with those places. Sometimes, hidden passages are a standard selection, which adds to the creepy atmosphere.
location
one film that its know for the location or place where the film, is "IT" the movie because of its famous scene where a boy with a yellow raincoat losses his paper boat and goes after it; and eventually find the clown inside the drain, what makes this scene so scary and creepy is where the scene is set which is just a normal pavement with a normal drain which makes us feel scared because we cant see inside the drain normally when we walk by and this created a fear of "what if there is a clown inside the drain?" making us doubt the normal everyday location that we walk by everyday.
another good use of location is when the horror film is filmed in a place where the horror film story is based off like in true story films that is something i really enjoy , such as a the movie "Amityville house" which is a movie filmed and based off the story off the murder of a few families
what makes this house so special and iconic to the horror movies scene is that now you can come and stay in this house as an airbnb
VFX & Practical Effects
horror are know for using practical effects or VFX to make a more realistic movie that ultimately holds the viewer’s interest, allowing them to believe what they see is real. Usually used are makeup, prosthetics, and VFX to give a more realistic and gory stance. It provides the ability for practical effects and VFX to bring movies alive. Visual effects for example, glitch effects and unnatural movements, such as levitation of people or breaking walls with a single punch, could give a sense of the supernatural and suspense usually done in horror movies.
A movie that has made an incredible use of practical effects in the "American Werewolf in London" which is has one of the best and very realistic werewolf transformation scenes, to achieve this scene it actually took an entire week of shooting, and to speed up the process they created multiple costumes for each part of the transformation, and the actor for the American werewolf would said that the most of the day the " Time was taken up more with the application of the various stages of the costume with a 4am call time for around 10 hours required to apply and 3hrs to remove and only about 10 minutes to shoot it on set."
how will use this in my own work?
like a David Fincher says that if you have the opportunity to do practical effects do it rather than digital effects, what i learned from this research is that if i have the opportunity to do, practical work then i should do it, the only issue its that practical can be more costly than Digitally due to the fact that props cost more and etc... what i will do for my own project is to try to use a fog machine for the shot that i plan on doing, which is a multiple exposure shot with a never ending trails of arms movements.
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to create the practicle effect of the growing hair they had to reverse the shot as Baker puller the hair back trough a piece of rubber, and if you reversed the shot it would make it look like there id growing hair
this is the scene were we can see the practical effect being used
colour
horror films also use a more restricted colour pallot with acceptions such as "Midsummer" that uses a more yellow, orange and gold colour but the usual colour pallet for movies is a more cool and desaturated colors, with usual shades of blues and grays to evoke an eerie and detached atmosphere. Another colour that is one of the most essential colour in movies is red which is is frequently used with the association of blood, violence, and imminent danger, and to create gore and the subliminal ideal of danger, the most comon use of the colour red is the danger part such as in the movie It the clown with the red ballon that implies danger. these colours also have a very effective ability to contrast with one and the other, like a sudden splash of red in an otherwise monochromatic scene, can draw attention to the viewer and to intensify the sense of dread that comes with movies
now lets see common techniques and shots that are used sed in horror films, which could inspire my own short film
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Camera roll
Camera roll is a film technique by which the camera rolls from one fixed point around its central axis, focusing on a subject or object of interest. It will create a rolling effect to be used for different purposes. A camera roll serves to disorient the audience while building tension and drumming up intensity regarding what could potentially be at issue with a critical character's emotional state. A camera roll gives something alive enough to a scene so it becomes visually appealing. Most times, a camera roll can be done by mounting the camera with particular types of equipment like clamps.
The camera roll was used in the film Inception. In one of the most famous scenes, the camera rolls around to underline the disorientation and scenes involving a lack of gravity in the movie. It is what gives the viewer secret depth and visual appeal but, at the same time, an uneasy, unstable feeling while watching a movie.
Dolly Zoom
The dolly zoom, or Vertigo effect, is a film technique where the camera moves closer or farther away from the subject while simultaneously adjusting the zoom lens to keep the subject the same size in the frame. This creates a dramatic and disorienting visual effect, of expanding or compressing. Dolly is usually used to show the emotions or psychological states of characters in movies. This teach unique is so good in my opinion because when used correctly you can create this unspoken effect of revelations, moments of realisation, or dramatic turning points.
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Example in jaws of 1975 dolly zoom is used to show the realization when Brody watches the swimmers in the water, the camera moves in on him while simultaneously zooming out, creating a visual effect where the background seems to recede while Brody's expression remains front and center
Dutch Angle
the Dutch angle, also known as a Dutch tilt or canted angle, is a film technique where the camera is intentionally tilted to one side, creating a slanted frame. This angle works by tilting the camera on its tripod or handheld at an angle. By slanting the frame it can help make the audience feel uneasy and disoriented, often mirroring a character's psychological state. The Dutch angle can give disorientated perspective, making the character also look off-balance, confused, or unstable in a scene in a scene.
To make the Dutch and the camera operator tilts the camera to the on a angle while capturing the shot.
A very iconic use of the Dutch angle Is in the movie Inception, the use of the Dutch angle, works perfetly with the theme of the movie disorientation. The Dutch angle is frequently used in the dream scenes, tilting the camera to create a sense of unease and instability. This helps sell the dream world idea and It also adds to the film's overall atmosphere of uncertainty and keeps the audience engaged.
Voyeur Effect
A voyeur shot is lts a type of shot that the camera is an object's point of view or it is that of a spectator, almost as if it were seeing or spying on the characters on a perspetive like you are involved on an actual film. It gives a creepy style to the film, like we are not supposed to be seeing this. This shot works by framing from an and unique viewpoint, like in the perspective of a spy. This has the effect of causing the audience to see the scene from an outsider point of view, creating an you an extra insight to the scene. It can give tension, suspense and an eerie effect to the viewers feel they are peeping in moments.
This type technique makes it possible to expose specific moments that the character might not want to show and to concealed information that we are not supposed to know about the characters or reveal the actual motivation for the characters. To accomplish such an effect, the location of the camera may be made to reveal observation mainly with the use of objects or structures that, at the very least, block it partially.
PEDESTAL SHOT
Pedestal shot is a technique involving the vertical movement of the camera. in a pedestal shot, the camera is mounted in a pedestal or tripod with a vertical column that lets It move up and down. This movement can be used to change the framing of a shot, reveal new elements in a scene.
The pedestal shot works by raising or lowering the camera while maintaining the horizontal orientation. It has two primary effects It changes he viewer's perspective by changing the height of the camera. This can be used to reveal details, in the scene slowly, The movement can bring attention to specific elements in the frame, such as a character's reaction or an object, it can also be use to show different locations as a smooth transitions teachnique, its comonly used in scenes sets in apartments and its used to change floors.
Directors
this is for directors that inspire me and my visual style
Jeff Cronenweth
Jeff Cronenweth is a American cinematographer whom is know for for his work on Fight Club, The Social Network, and one of my favorite films The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He is the son of Jordan Cronenweth a very famous cinematogaper, and the nephew of Adam Jones.
his worked in the film industry since 1981, starting as a camera loader on the film Cutter's Way, He was also nominated for an Academy Award for his cinematography work on Fight Club in 2000.
Cronenweth has also taught cinematography at the American Film Institute, and served as a mentor for the Sundance Institute's Cinematography Labs.
Cronenweth's work is know for beautiful attention to detail, and for his ability to Gove a very nice a sense of realism and atmosphere in the films he shoots like in the social network
Tony Daoulas
Tony Doulas is a famous photographer has a very unique visually stunning images. He especially good at with his shutting style using a slow shutter speeds to create unique and captivating photographs.
Tony's slow shutter photographs are very dynamic and abstract compositions that capture the movement and energy of a scene almost making you feel like you are in there. By using slow shutter speeds, he is able to capture the flow of the image by creating streaks of of lights that crate a sort of flowing water flowid motion which create some amazing abstract images, almost making his subject look like they are still moving the images, and this is what i want to be able to recreate with my images candid moments
Candid street photography is a type of photography that captures everyday life in public spaces, without posing or directing the subjects. The goal of street Candid photography is to capture raw, unfiltered moments that reveal something about the day to day life, and this is what I will be aiming to do, I will be taking picture inspired in the style of Tony doulas pictures and I will repeat it into my own style
EXPERIMENTS
PS: 3 point key lighting experiment is on pre production page, with the blocking and shooting practice.
Dolly Zoom
The dolly zoom, or Vertigo effect, is a film technique where the camera moves closer or farther away from the subject while simultaneously adjusting the zoom lens to keep the subject the same size in the frame. This creates a dramatic and disorienting visual effect, of expanding or compressing. Dolly is usually used to show the emotions or psychological states of characters in movies. This teach unique is so good in my opinion because when used correctly you can create this unspoken effect of revelations, moments of realization, or dramatic turning points.
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How It Works and Its Effect: The dolly zoom works by changing the camera's position and zoom simultaneously. to do the dolly zoom, the camera is mounted on a dolly or a track to move smoothly forwards or backwards from the subject. At the same time, the zoom lens is adjusted to maintain the subject's size in the frame.
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Example in jaws of 1975 dolly zoom is used to show the realization when Brody watches the swimmers in the water, the camera moves in on him while simultaneously zooming out, creating a visual effect where the background seems to recede while Brody's expression remains front and center
My Attempt
For the dolly zoom effect i had to use a zoom lens 18-55mm and i also pared that up with a track.
try 1
This dolly was digitally done on premier pro, for this shot i use a track and just filmed a a basic panning in shot, equipment wise i used a prime 50mm lens and i pulled my f stop to the lowest it could go 1.8f so that i could the the highest depth of filmed i could achieve.
My main struggle with this shot was the fact that no matter how fast or slow i tryed to move the camera i could not keep her in focus for this shot, and another thing i could have done was ensure that track was more perfectly aligned with her, to combat the fist issue i moved the tripod as fast as i can but no mater how slow i moved the cameras auto focus could not keep up with it, so i had to just do it manually but unfortunately that did not turn out the greatest, for me to combat the second issue i found out that if i just move in and slight scaled the image inward and moved the centring i could ensure that she would be able to stay in the center.
try 2
This dolly zoom was manually done, but i decided to experiment with a slight tracking and warp on the movement due to the slight shake in the footage, i was actualy quite please with the end result which have this almost Jaws effect to the clip in the ending, but i come to realise that the warp stabilise ended up moving too much and accidentally warped her face slightly.
This is the same exact version but without any editing.
Room Strech
for one part of my scene i want my character to look at the desk where he is supposed to do work and when he does that i want the room to look as if its becoming more distant like its stretching, to accomplish that ill use the vertigo effect.
this is a clip for the movie vertigo, which is my main source of inspiration, I really like this take because it can be used to create an effect of things becoming more distant, this is exactly what I want to show when i include this effect in my shot.
the room
as I am not able to rent out the track just yet, because I need to book it ahead, so I decided to plan this shoot out based on my room, where I believe the shoot will take place. The idea of what i wanted in this shot, is to give see the room become more distant trought my characters eyes, so i want to have the track right next to the bed, so i can emulate his perspective when he looks at the desk.
shot planning
Teachinical Planning
when planning i realised that hiding the light would be slightly complicated due to the space constrainments so i will be hiding the light in the edge of my bed, behind my monitor and one key light behind the camera facing the wall to brighten up the room
Lock On
The locked-on or fixed camera technique is when the camera remains fixed on a subject, usually a character and it moves in sync with their movements. It keeps the subject centered in the frame, maintaining a fixed view on the characters
The "locked-on" effect works by using equipment like gimbals or stabilizers to ensure the camera smoothly follows the subject movements to synchronized camera movement, by doing this you get this fixed effect of the character looking sort of still but everything around him constantly moving, giving this effect of “the world revolving around the subject”. the subject in focus and centered within the frame, allowing the audience to closely follow their actions and emotions.
To achieve the "locked-on" effect, specialised equipment and techniques are used to maintain a consistent and synchronised camera movement with the subject the subject in focus and centered within the frame.
my attemp
but for the actual shot i will need to try and main the guitar more still when strumming, because when trying to adding warp stabilize it crops too much of my footage making it unusable
for this shot I attached my phone to the back of the guitar to accomplish this, I had to do tape my phone to the end of the guitar just to see how it would look. The final look was great. This type of lock on POV offered that dynamic level of element to the shot in a way that you can can feel emerged with the guitar and the character, and the motion. I used just one key light. The focus of the key light was on the guitar and the hands, the reason I enjoyed this shot and pan on adding to my short fil is that, I think that ill be an interesting way for the viewers to see his habits in a different way.
continuity editing and filming practice
When I did continuity editing and continuity filming practice , I had to ensure that the same movements were repeated exactly the same each time ,so that each shot would fit the continuity from different angles. This helped me the practice of remaining constant with the actions. One thing that helped was working out a particular action with a specific motion, like opening the door with my left hand every time while shooting. Then, when I shot the same scene from another angle, the camera would get precisely the same action, and there would be no problems with the continuity. I was able to have my movements polished through repetition of the scene, and this was quite important since it was going to ensure continuity in the actual filming process.
Echo Effect
The echo technique is the hardest technique that i have attempted to do, for this technique i decided that I wanted to experiment with more lighting and shadows and would also be a uni que way of showing my character doing loads of thign at one but procastinate i wont think it would be worth the time to mask the person out for two hours , and also play with Silhouettes and the way i decided to go about that was to use the smoke machine provided by the school which is a Resco 700, and to use the best lighting i could i rented out the school theater because of the wide variety of light and because the also had a wide range of spot lights
The fist issue that came about was the layout of the lighting for this, the lights were already set up for a show that is currently being produces in school so the light all had different strengths and odd positioning so i had to learn how to use the theatre light board which was a new experience for me, but after loads of trial and errors i came to find the spot light that i was looking for.
The next step for the creation of this shot was how to set up the smoke machine and also how to set the shot that i was was looking for. for this shot that i was looking for i had to foucos on the ideas of the shadows being created from the silhouette, to create this i had to fist set the smoke machine which btw was a nightmare due to the wide space so the moment that smoke machine turned on i would require one person to just fan the smoke i the right direction, for the set up of the show the only thing that i struggled with was the quality of the image and t try to do my best to combat the heavy grain that is coming from the high ISO required to make the are visible
Btw this is the smoke machine
This was the first set up but because he light was coming straight from behind the Silhouette was intense and wasn't giving my subject complementary lighting that i was looking for, to combat that what i did was to implement the use of a bounce that was placed right next to me to give my subject a bit more detail and not let her just blend in with the background
Before bounce/reflector
With reflector
this is what the setup looked like
The reason for the use of the smoke machine is because i wanted to bring out as much detail as I can from the single spotlight
The editing process for this was one of the most rigorous/ patience testing process I had to do, due to the fact that this was my fisrt time using after effects and all the tutorials were a lot more advanced that the knowledge I had at the time
The first that that i hat to create and the absolute longest process was the rotoburshing tool that i had to generate, that was the most tedious and long process, i had to go frame by frame to ensure that the masking was just him and had absolutle no background because if it does the background over laps his arm creating black lines that this troy the illusion of the infinite arms
failded attemp
As you can see in this failed attempt there are some parts of the frame that unfortunately had some of the background cut into it which unfortunately ruined the illusion
So to combat that I decided to restart it all over again and ensure that every frame was perfectly cut out, which ended up with a total of 518 corrections in total, which took me 2 days to do
And to make things more interesting i decided to just mask her arms in all the takes ti see how the effect would turn out, after that was done i decided to apply the echo effect to the frame to just see how the individual arms would turn out, which in my opinion it did turn out very cool
From there all i had to do was to add it to the back layer and see how it turned out, but the this turned into a very long and tedious process due to the rendering time and available RAMs on the computer so the process was very long
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But because there was till movement from the body the effect came out a bit weird, this experiment did come out as weel as i expected and i would lovd to be able to go back to this work and re do it one more time with the new knowlage that i have gattherd
Another thing that i decided to do is to this footage, was to add the Volumetric Lighting effect which creates creates this effect of light beans coming through the silhouette making the shot more pleasing and intresting to see
Here is how is the side by side comparison
without
with the effect
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and now this is my fottage raw with the volumetric lighting effect in place
and if you want and with the correct colour grade you can make it super strong
The reason why this doesn't the volumetric lighting doesn't have a super strong effect is because the making wouldn't be able to render the footage if too strong
another thing that i done to try and fix some the issues that i had with my work was to re mask my work and maks the whole body so that the arms dont look like they are over imposing my and ruining the illusion
and now this is my final result