Pre-Pro: Bay Area Animal Shelters

Purpose: This piece is intended to inform the audience as to the origins, structure, message, purpose, and future of animal rescue shelters. Or just one.

Contacts: Tammy Alsterlind, Redwood City animal shelter (it’s owner, the workers, perhaps people who are adopting)

Interview Questions:

What does the shelter do? How does it work?
How did the shelter start? Why? Were there any challenges in doing so? If so, what were they and how were they overcome?
What is the ideology (if any) of the shelter?
How do you go about rescuing animals?
What do you plan for the future?  

Shot List: Close-ups of the interviewees, wide shots of the inside of the shelter if possible, shots of the workers, well, working with the animals, establishing shots of the shelter itself, shots of potential adopters meeting animals (if possible). Close ups of the animals themselves in the shelter, being taken care of, sleeping, etc.

General Flow: Beginning: It will start out with a brief description of what the shelter actually does, with shots showing the volunteers (employees?) doing their job. Middle: Then it will move into the history of the shelter, why it was started, who started it (if possible). Then, descriptions of challenges/problems that have to do with their job. End: It will finish off with the workers plans for the future, mentioning how people can get involved, how they work with other shelters.

Capitalism: A Love Story Review

Today I watched a documentary film, Capitalism: A Love Story, directed, produced, and written by Michael Moore. If someone decides to tell me that this wasn't a documentary, well, to that I say, whatever. The subject of the film is the effect of capitalism has on our society, and what Americans have done and can do to stop those in the upper class and government from further worsening America’s situation to their benefit. The film takes a very anti-rich stance in general, and seeks to inspire Americans to fight back and regain what is theirs, whether it is property, wealth, or rights.

The documentary uses a mixture of live-action footage, broadcasts from earlier years, and interview segments to make its point. It is clear in certain live-action segments as well that the reactions from observers and Moore himself are on the spot, enhancing the films legitimacy.

Moore tries to emphasize the situation many middle and lower class Americans are in. This includes shots of people being evicted from their homes, demolished factories, rotting homes, and the homeless.

There isn’t much live footage of the rich that’s meant to evoke a feeling of injustice. This is done in other ways.

There are plenty of voice-overs from Michael Moore himself throughout the film, in order to clarify certain points, present information, and add power to the images shown. Sometimes he speaks on the subject of the shots, other times he comments on reactions, old footage, pictures, etc. in order to give more information than the interviews and live footage provides.

The interviews vary from being very lengthy and drawn out to being shown for only a few quick seconds with the interviewee only commenting on an issue related to the footage shown. This is done to keep the feeling of suspense or drama inherent with the footage. Some of the interviews appear to have been filmed spontaneously, with Moore and his film crew approaching random people around Capitol Hill and Wall Street. Mainly, he interviews people of the working class and those in the government who are disgusted with the situation of the American economy. Moore does this in order to give the audience a perspective on current events and draw out a reaction by interviewing those who have been affected by corporations’ wrongdoing.

One thing I found very unique about this film was the use of old footage from previous decades, old commercials, and videos filmed elsewhere in order to make a point. For example, at one point there is a showing of former president Bush’s address to the people about the upcoming depression, with the backdrop of the white house slowly crumbling and bursting into flame in order to show how he was fear mongering to the American people.

Yup/

Moore uses a variety of interviewing styles when talking to people. Sometimes he is nowhere in the interview, and asks the questions off camera; at some points people are turned away for anonymity, but most show their faces. Other times he is talking to people in a variety of environments, like in front of government buildings, walking along the sidewalk next to an abandoned factory, etc.

He doesn’t seem to compose his shots, at least not for the majority of the film. Only for establishing shots does he put particular attention to positioning of objects. There is little use of focus or any other tool at any point beyond the aforementioned shots.

All in all, I find this film to be very effective in achieving its goal, to inspire those in America to protest against the actions of the upper class and the government. The use of humor, a variety of interviewees, old footage and speeches, comparisons to older times and situations, along with a choice of music meant to instill sadness, is perfect in doing so.

Another Random Post

3. Soviet Montage and Formalism

1. Constructive editing was Pudovkin’s idea that it is the way the shots are put together is what gives meaning to a film. According to his ideas, the shots themselves do not matter. In addition, long shots were too realistic, and close ups, symbols, etc. were what really gave viewers understanding.
2. The Kuleshov effect is the idea that it is the position of shots in a film that gives us the emotion inherent in a film.
3. An Eisenstein Montage is a set of shots containing images that severely contrast one another in order to give it more emotional punch. Take the film “Odessa Steps” there is great deal of clashing color (well, just black and white) that suddenly switches shot to shot, giving it a very exciting feeling. This is also coupled with the amount of action in each shot, going from slow to fast instantly. 

Like this.

4. Andre Bazin and the Tradition of Realism

a. Bazin believed that those who edited shots were manipulating the meaning for their own reasons, and ignored the impact of realistic shots. He was also critical of the sole use of montages, insisting that there was more to film making then that one technique. The classical version of cutting took away from a viewer being able to interpret the film for his/herself. 

b. Realists strive to make works that allow the film goer to get their own meaning from the shots, and keep the continuity of real life, that it brought its own meaning as well without the need for editing.

c. Realist techniques include the use of long shots, lengthy scenes, in general moving the camera around instead of editing shots together. 

Analysis of "Arrival of a Train" and "Damsel in Distress"

Alright, so my assignment for today is to compare two short films and the style of film making involved in making them. These films are “Arrival of a Train” and “Damsel in Distress”. Both of these were made in the time where everything was funny, and everyone dressed way too heavily for the weather. But enough bad jokes, here comes the analysis of the two.

1. “Arrival of a Train” is shot from an angle that allows the viewer a good view of everything going on along the platform. This angle does not change, and there is no movement, so no one character is focused on and you are treated to a look at everyone at once. Captures the hustle and bustle of a train station very well this way. In “Damsel in Distress”, there is not much movement within shots, but the angles do change between them. Composition varies greatly between shots, compared to the “Arrival of a Train” where nothing changes camera-wise.

2. “Arrival of a Train” has no editing done to it, so it is just one long continuous shot. This makes us focus on the scene as a whole rather then on one specific character. However, everything going on in the shot is relevant to the plot (which is pretty much the title of the short film). The differences between the nonexistent editing in this film compared to “Damsel in Distress” are, well, drastic. In that film the plot is carried by parallel action, with the shots alternating between the woman and the dog. There are also a lot of associative cuts, where the dog’s actions are shown in relation to the woman’s position, showing us how it is affecting the situation and how its actions matter.

3. In “Arrival of a Train” you see the plot through just one view, with no specific character and no goal other than showcasing the train arriving and the reaction of those around it. Time is continuous and so is the setting. In “Damsel in Distress” there are set characters, a set obstacle/goal (the saving of the woman and the train/inability for her to escape), a suspenseful mood (the speed of the shots along with the constant alternating between train and character)…every theme is showcased in this film, compared to the first film where you only have a limited amount of information and no real plot. 

Step Outline

Character is at school, walking around in a suit with a silly gait, trying to attract attention but not getting the kind he’s looking for. He’s unaware of this.	Meet [generic name that makes you immediately think “who”], a kid who dresses in old fashion a lot and tries to act a gentlemen, for as of yet unknown reasons.
Scenes showing him with his friends for the first time, who tell him how stupid he looked (in a joking way, but also being honest). He responds with stubbornness.	Alright that’s not specific, but we get the impression that he really doesn't know how he looks to others. We don’t know exactly why still. Implies he’s been at this for a while.
He’s in class, he talks in a very refined accent but he doesn't look like he’s pulling it off, he gets snickers from those around him.	Closer look at what he tries to do at school, still not a very good idea of why he does this other than to supposedly look cool (without succeeding)
Cut to him at home, his room has a lot of 50’s paraphernalia and propaganda, wallpapers. Clothing in closet is mostly older clothing. Newer clothing is tucked in the back.	We now where he is influenced to do what he does. He is going through a phase where he is obsessed with the old days of dressing in suits every day, and where everyone looks and acts perfectly.
Back to school. Lunch time. He looks around at the lunch area, looks disgusted/non interested. Focus on others clothing.	We learn where his interests are directed. He treats other peoples’ dressing with disdain or at least disinterest, but we are still unsure.
Another scene of him with his friends. He’s discussing his dislike of other’s clothing, how unattractive it is, how rude people are, etc. His friends tell him to cool down, that’s the way it is, people will move on to another way of acting, he can’t start something.	Man this is long. This brings out the goal and obstacle. His goal is to get people to dress like him, act like him. He’s trying to impose his views on others. Obstacle: his own awkwardness and the fact that it takes a lot of effort to get something new in style. Not the way he’s doing it.
He reflects on his actions in a corridor, realizes what he’s been doing. Guy comes by and emphasizes this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRsPheErBj8) EPIPHANY. SADNESS.	This is discovery. He finds out the truth of just how unsuccessful he’s been. He hasn't abandoned his goal but he sure as hell is questioning it. We don’t know how he will succeed, if at all. The climax.
Then, suddenly, interesting individuals! He comes upon others of his kind, who have had similar experiences. Mainly though, they want help organizing. One of them suggests an idea.	I know, it sounds a bit like a deus ex machina. But this is the solution, the final push. And it shows a slow going up from the pit he was in before. But here’s another unknown, we don’t know what they have in mind.
Then we have the group of suit aficionados going up to a teacher in charge of clubs. It’s unexpected. It’s revolutionary. It is...THE GENTLEMEN’S CLUB.	Oh my god I’m sorry I had to do this. It leaves a lot of ambiguity as to what will happen but we know the main character is satisfied with what he has accomplished. FIN.

Characterization: BRMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Cobb, the main protagonist of Inception, is fleshed out through a variety of means both normal to filmmaking and a bit more unique, relying on the ideas contained in the plot, namely the dreaming mechanics. And there is one scene that brings it all to a head, and allows us a good look at his character.

Throughout the movie we are given a picture of a man with a tormented past and a desire to see his kids, but there is no explanation for this other than that he is not allowed back into America. In this scene, we are given a visual look into some of the reasons why Cobb is so haunted by the past. After getting several snippets before this, we are given even more insight, that he is literally hoarding his memories of his wife and kids, giving evidence that something important had gone on relating to them.

Several things impede Cobb's progress towards his goal, which is shown in his inability to get back to the U.S. and the instability of his mind (refusal to accept events) affecting conditions inside the dreamscape. In order to overcome this Cobb must literally conquer his memories in order to save the rest of his team. Even then, with the ending being so ambiguous, you are unable to tell whether Cobb reaches his goal. However, given his mental state and the strength of his desires it is possible that he would not care if his reuniting with his kids was another dream.

A Blog Post About a Blog Post: Martin Marcisovsky

So after browsing my Google Reader account for something interesting, I came upon a post from Chase Jarvis’ Blog about a photographer named Martin Marcisovsky. He specializes in surrealist images, and I fell in love the moment I looked at them.

They really give a sense of mystery and "what the hell am I looking at", which is something I never see enough these days, when all I see are pictures of food. So if you're into not so normal imagery or just something new, check out this man's gallery. You won't be disappointed.

Chase Jarvis' Blog (and the original post): http://blog.chasejarvis.com/blog/2012/09/emerging-talent-the-surreal-imagery-of-martin-marcisovsky/

Marcus Marcisovsky: http://www.marcisovsky.com/ 

"when you find me" - Another Analysis of the 10 Themes

The short film “when you find me”, by Ron Howard, is the product of the photos taken for the Long Live Imagination contest, which asked people everywhere to take photographs that exemplified the 10 themes of storytelling. Ron Howard sought to implement these ten themes in his film. In this blog post, I will analyze the elements in this production that show these themes.

 Let’s start off with the theme of the Unknown. In the short beginning scene, you really aren’t given any context at all concerning what is happening. While that is sort of understandable, the prevalence of white coloring is disconcerting; making you wonder what exactly is happening. This sort of setting isn’t exactly grounded in reality after all. Secondly, most of the scene focuses on the tree and the girl, hinting at some importance to them. As we find later in the film, this is indeed the case.

 The next scene establishes a Character. By focusing on the woman’s movement and actions instead of the boy or the husband, they are highlighting her importance. The darkness and tone of her words also work towards giving her a very gloomy attitude, and the way she talks to her son implies an importance in whatever happened to her and her sister.

 Cut to: Backstory. While these next few scenes are a major portion of the film, they are an explanation of present events, notably the relationship between the woman and her sister. The way the camera is already focused on the little girl in the beginning of the above scene, it immediately shows us that this person is related to or is in fact the woman from the previous scene. More to the point, the sudden change in scenery and time is Howard’s way of telling us that this scene is going into further detail concerning woman and her sister, and what causes the tension between them.

 At this point in the movie, the theme of Discovery becomes especially critical. The death of the girls’ mother is a pivotal moment, and sets the tone for the evens that follow.

 The flow in time is shown in the following scene, through the use of a shot of the sun lower in the sky, and the darker atmosphere that comes with it. The body language of the girls implies that a very short time has passed since the death of their mother, and their position in the background exaggerates the loss and loneliness they feel.

 Ah, and then there is the Goal. The cartoonish feel of this scene is used to showcase the little girl’s imagination, and the way in which she views her desire to see her mom.

 Next up is the Obstacle. The gate is shown as large and imposing in contrast to the girls to show the impossibility of the little girl’s desire to see her mother, and gives the older girl a chance to emphasize that. Of course, it could be just a gate. I wouldn't be able to climb one even if I tried. But enough of that.

 In the diner scene, the Mood in is palpable, as well as the Relationship between the two sisters. By giving a good view of both their faces, you are able to see the tension that is right beneath the surface. The lighting also plays a part, giving it all a very tiring and depressing feel.

Lastly, there is Setting. After all the other scenes, we are finally shown the meaning of the very first. The ethereal quality given to the field emphasizes the other-worldliness and unreal atmosphere of it. It is clear (or perhaps not clear at all) that it represents heaven in some form, what with the mothers presence below the tree.

Canon's "Long Live Imagination" Contest and the 10 Themes of Storytelling

Last week, my art of video teacher introduced our class to a website, https://www.longliveimagination.com/. On this site, photographers everywhere are encouraged to take photos that exemplify the ten themes of storytelling. In this post, I'll be giving a brief summary of each one, along with a photographic example of each. 

10. Mood

Mood is the tone of a story, what gives it feeling, whether it be gloomy, bright, mysterious, or hopeful. It can be influenced by diction, imagery, the character of, well, the characters, etc.

 Take this for example. Notice how it is taken from the perspective of someone entering the shop, first of all. Nothing is given specific attention regarding lighting, so your eye is drawn to everything along the edges of the frame. The overwhelming amount of light sources gives the entire photo a feeling of wonder, like someone who enters a shop to be greeted by an assortment of objects that all manage to attract the eye. And the way in which the z-axis is clear along the fore-ground and mid-ground give you a look at the shops proprietor as well, but is insignificant compared to what he is surrounded by, even as the vectors of the frame all lead to the center.

9. Goal

What the characters are after. Central to nearly every story is something that someone is after, but its importance is relevant to the searcher.

 The player with the ball is the subject in focus, to highlight his importance to the game, while still leaving the other players visible. The frame also gives the subject a bit of lead room, to show that he is going in a specific direction, towards some, well, ahem, GOAL.

8. Back story

The story behind the story (oh man, fragment sentences, what ever will I do?). What makes the setting/characters the way they are?

 The actual manner of portraying back story in a photograph can be quite subjective, since, in a way, any sort of photo can be filled with further information once you look around the subject. It’s all about paying attention to the details. In this case, rather then using focus to specify a main object, it puts the sunflowers (and the hand placing them) in the center of the frame. The lighting evokes a sort of unreal atmosphere to the kitchen, like a memory or dream. It emphasizes the importance of the sunflowers to the person on the right hand side. Not sure how this really relates to back story, but like I said, it can be hard to pin down (or maybe I’m just dim).

7. Character

Now, this is a very wide category. A character can be a person, an animal, a rock, a tree, a planet…as long as it has an active role in the plot. For example, you can hardly call a rock a character if all that occurs is that another character describes it. If it talked, however, it would be different. With photographs, it is less about simply taking a photo of someone as much as it is about giving some sort of importance or uniqueness to them.

 In this example, you are given a full shot of an old man walking down a street. Like in some of the photographs before, it focuses on him, with the black and white possibly symbolizing great age. There is an ample amount of lead room ahead of him, which shows that he is walking, although the manner in which he walks implies that he is infirm.

6. Obstacles

Anything blocking the characters progress, be it mental or physical.

 In this case, it is both. The light is cast up the ladder, to show that someone is casting it their self. The vertical horizon line gives a sense of energy and vertigo to the picture, a symbolization of a fear of heights or the danger of climbing the ladder. In addition, the old appearance of the ladder brings the idea that it might not be very stable. So the image is both a combination of mental and physical obstacles.

5. Relationship

Any connection between characters, objects, or ideas.

 By putting the two children in focus, it brings to the viewer’s attention the relationship between the two. Being in the fore/mid-ground, they are also the largest things in the photo, giving them further importance. And the silhouetting of both of them is a way of telling the viewer that they are connected in some way.

4. Setting

Where the story takes place.

 The house is given a full shot, so one can see it in fullness. Everything else is blurred out as well to highlight it, and there is a sort of visual balance coming from it being the largest single object in frame. The lighting also gives the house a bright and happy feeling.

3. The Unknown

Why is this happening? Who is that? What will happen next? This theme is basically anything unexpected or surprising.

 A graphic vector in the form of the stairs draws your eye to wherever the staircase goes, which is not elaborated upon. The way the light falls on the staircase gives it a mystical element. In other words, it gives you the sense that the staircase leads to somewhere new or unknown.

2. Time

When something occurs, or the passage of time.

 

 In this photograph, the moon is the subject, highlighting the current time. All lines lead to this subject, bringing to it more relevance then the fact that it’s quite dark outside actually.

Perhaps I summed that last one up too quickly, but to be honest, I might just not be looking hard enough for good enough examples, or I’m just not looking hard enough. Perhaps I'll come back to this later if I have a revelation. Shame that there wasn’t much humor in this post but you try not to force it. The tenth theme will be revealed on Canon’s site soon, and I will be updating this post to fit with that development.

Batman Begins, or why you should always start watching a trilogy from the beginning.

So today I watched Batman Begins, which as many know is the first movie in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. Now, I had never watched Batman Begins before this and I'll be the first to admit it. I had the pleasure of watching The Dark Knight and, more recently, The Dark Knight Rises. And after watching the beginning of the series I can see the many things that Nolan changed between the first and second movies. This is a warning, there are spoilers.

See, I told you there would be spoilers, we're off to a good start. I'll cut to the chase. One of the elements that surprised me about Batman Begins was Scarecrow (or Dr. Jonathan Crane, played by Cillian Murphy) and his use of a panic-inducing poison, and more importantly the effect used when shots were made from the point of view of those who inhaled it.

figure 1. 

I won't pretend to know the techniques used to get an effect like that (if it's something extremely obvious you retain the right to call me out on it in the comments) but the way in which it is used I found excellent. Whenever they used an extreme closeup on a face from the point of view of someone who inhaled the poison, you are immediately struck by its severity. It is unique among the Nolan trilogy for being one of the few obvious special effects that is implemented.

       

     figures 2 & 3.

Another thing that struck me about the movie was that there was a lot of unsubtle humor involved, with numerous puns and ironic shots, like in one scene where Sgt. Gordon and another police officer are telling each other that there are no forces left, Batman conveniently rides in with his tumbler and enters the fray (unfortunately I do not have a link to this scene). This kind of humor is almost completely absent from the next few films. It is clear that Nolan decided to take a much more serious approach to The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.

figure 4. 

Am I the only one who doesn't remember seeing Batman fly so much in the next two films? His use of flight, the joy in which he tests out new equipment...

Using an ultrasonic signal to flood a building with bats. As a distraction.

It implies a very flippant attitude to what he is doing, which I suppose is the point: Bruce Wayne has just acquired his new-found abilities and uses them to the fullest, and enjoys it most of the time. Only in the next film does he begin to toughen up and lose the ironic (and "punny") attitude that he carries around when he visits people he isn't trying to kill (and even then..). The film in general is more of a showcase of the fact that Batman has just become a superhero (although I'm sure he would dispute that). It screams "Hey look everyone, it's Batman!" without giving it any dark undertones.

To sum it up, I enjoyed Batman Begins. It takes much more light-hearted approach, without too much of the seriousness of the later Nolan films. The hallucination factor was unique, and something that I might have enjoyed seeing in The Dark Knight, albeit in a different form. The humor was enjoyable, and didn't force its way down your throat. I'll try not to ramble on here, but I recommend that anyone who wishes to see Nolan's Batman films to try and watch it in order, and not skip. You miss out on a lot of details and background that isn't elaborated upon afterwards.