ARTISTIC RESPONSE

Her (Our Film)

I appreciated the feedback because it was generally very constructive and positive. First, a person said that the sound matched each mood, but the volume was too loud (which might be more of a problem in terms of starting too loud) however the shift between music could have been done better. I agree with this as we could have used music layering programs to make them more fluid, rather than simply fading in and out, to add more nuance. As a director, some people's feedback said they appreciated the nice effort into mise en scene, costume design, and progression through time. However, at times the timeline was unclear, and had some inconsistencies but was overall a good effort. Additionally, our transitions could have been smoothed out more, but the cuts were really good. Moreover, we had many good and creative shot angles, and our transitions and jump cuts were nice. The time theme and makeup in our film was great, and they appreciated our ambitious mise en scene. However, we needed stronger ties from scene to scene, and more intention in the shots.

Particularly, we had no excessive shots, and our audience found it cool how we showed the time change from scene to scene. However, the portals could have been clearer. We also used interesting framing, and a variety of shots.

Two Worlds One Hobo

This film started with very elegant introductory music. I appreciated the nice editing in the first portal, but it wasn't very integrated (in hindsight, this could also symbolize the jarring juxtaposition between the two worlds?). However, an understandable mistake, in a moment of "noob"-ness we can see the cameraman in the mirror. The sole movement of the shots seemed to be lots of pans, so maybe next time the cinematography could be more creative. I noticed the sound levels were a bit too loud in shouting scenes, but once again there was good editing, so despite the jarring portals, they were definitely very smooth (except when Jamie emerges from the shutter randomly). I understand the instinct to use slo-mo to slow down the action, however, because of the frame-rate of the school camera, the slo-mo was a bit jerky and interrupted the flow of the story. As a side-note sometimes there were little tweaks that could be improved, such as overexposure or piercing shower scene water foley. Te handheld shots were a bit jerky sometimes, but I appreciate the use of levels in the Pacific Place scene.

As a director, I really appreciated how he incorporated Twilight Zone themes, and how the protagonist's two costumes were really nicely juxtaposed; however, the difference between the people around him in the rich world and poor world could have been more pronounced. There were many nice close-ups that focus on the subjects instead of only on the action, and tight transitions that made the portals exciting.

Two Wrongs Always Make a Right

I'm not sure what there is to say about this masterpiece. There was a nice use of focus, very deep focus, that only focused on them, enhanced the fuzz romantic feel to the romantic scene. The mise en scene and time of day both fit the mood greatly, and locations were on the whole extremely appropriate. Every portal was very nice, fluid and smooth, all very smooth and made sense. Additionally, there was juxtaposed framing from before and after the portal to enhance their effect, like when the couple walks close-up past the camera, then emerges on the other side of the camera in the corner in an extra wide shot on a sloping hill. On that vein, there were nice uses of extra wide shots, coming from different places. There was also the utilization of an expensive camera device called a gimbal, that is a pivoted support that allows the rotation of an object about a single axis that allows for stabilized video, a device primarily used for extreme travel shooting or travel filmmakers or Youtubers. The skewed shot made on tilted ground and at night jet the scene and added to the mise en scene during Act 2 on of the film, there was a really nice use of music and use of non-diegetic and diegetic sound, a Birdman-esque drum soundtrack. Once again, there was a nice use of portals nice use of high and low angles and framing, for example filming the action through the mirror the panning and tilting to follow the action, or using the monitor in an elevator to depict the grainy action. The editing and visual effects meshed well with the real life action as well.

I really admire this film, as a whole product and as a culmination of every role that had gone above and beyond all expectations- and especially towards the director. On a surface level, Ryan's use of his personal expensive photography equipment increased the production value substantially, and furthermore the use of creative framing, use of locations, the elevator monitors or fish-eyed mirrors in the MTR. Additionally, every role put in mountains of effort, and the film and artistic vision were a collected effort, rather than a script that the director writes and half-hearted crew members put together. The locations, time of day, sound, editing, all came together and produced a conceptually, aesthetically and theatrically beautiful film, and I really applaud and admire their group for it.

DOLLY

A camera dolly is a wheeled cart or similar device used in filmmaking and television production to create smooth horizontal camera movements. The camera is mounted to the dolly and the camera operator and focus puller or camera assistant usually ride on the dolly to push the dolly back and forth. The camera dolly is generally used to produce images which involve moving the camera toward or away from a subject while the camera is moving, a technique known as a "dolly shot." Before when cameras were heavier and more clumsy, they couldn't run with the camera so they attached to a special wheelchair.

The orbit dolly has many different uses and setups. It has three wheel legs that are expandable, six removable locks on top, and three locks on wheels. We remove locks first, then lock them onto the center plates. The more weight we have on a dolly, the smoother it will be, which is why we have to use slightly heavier tripods. The most basic dolly set up is the wide base. If we remove the outer legs then we can have a tabletop dolly. The dolly can also move in circular movements. For example, setting it to the 15 angle lets it move in a wide arc.

For different types of floors, we have different types of wheels. For example, for relatively smooth indoor flooring (not carpeting), we have smooth rubber wheels, then wide rubber wheels for rougher outdoor surfaces.

We also have a track. The type of track we have is flexible, so it can be twisted in any types of shapes, but requires a lot of skill and practice to operate smoothly.

Last but not least, when the dolly starts to move, we need to yell "Dolly on the move!"

ASSESSMENTS 

Our first assessment is an individually written script for the Twilight Zone. Each student will individually write a 5-7 page script for a portal chase short inspired by the themes and characteristics of the Twilight Zone. The script may or may not include dialogue. The script will be evaluated based on creative thinking as evident in:

1. The script's structure (for example, use or subversion of the three-act structure);
2. The correct layout and formatting of a script;
3. The use of Twilight Zone themes and characteristics;
4. The inclusion of at least 3 'portal' transitions;
5. Feasible, coherent and imaginative artistic intentions for the film.

In order to properly complete this task, I will try to show excellent understanding of how to structure a script, show excellent understanding of the correct layout and format of a scrip, show excellent creative use of the themes and characteristics of the Twilight Zone, develop an excellent artistic intention, which is often feasible, clear, imaginative and coherent, and show an excellent use subject specific terminology.

Our second assessment is the Twilight Zone Production Portfolio. Each student will individually create a research portfolio in preparation for making a 5-7 minute Twilight Zone chase film. My dossier must be divided into 2 sections: 1) An annotated script (see Criterion A); and 2) Storyboards – This includes the following elements for the entire film: - a shot list; - a set of storyboards; and - overhead diagrams. 

In order to properly complete this task, I will try to show excellent creativity in the creation of a shot list, show excellent creativity in the creation of a storyboard, show excellent creativity in the creation of an overhead diagram, shows excellent creativity in the use of the themes and characteristics of the twilight zone, create a portfolio that reveals excellent understanding, and perform a well-prepared and convincingly presented pitch, and show good use subject specific terminology,

THE HITCH-HIKER

Opening Narration

“

Her name is Nan Adams. She's twenty-seven years old. Her occupation: buyer at a New York department store. At present on vacation, driving cross-country to Los Angeles, California from Manhattan.

”

The story begins with Nan Adams, whose vehicle gets a flat tire and has an accident on a cross-country road trip from New York City to Los Angeles. A mechanic puts a spare tire on her car, comments that he's surprised she survived the accident, saying "you shouldn't've called for a mechanic, somebody shoulda called for a hearse" and directs her to the nearest town to fix it properly. Just before she leaves, Nan notices a strange-looking man hitchhiking. Unnerved, she drives away quickly. As she continues her trip, Nan sees the same hitchhiker thumbing for a ride at several other points on her journey. She becomes increasingly frightened of him, and when she is stuck on a railroad crossing and nearly hit by a train, she becomes convinced that the hitchhiker is trying to kill her by beckoning her into danger. She continues to drive, becoming more and more afraid, stopping only when necessary; but every time she does, the same hitchhiker is there. When she ends up stranded in New Mexico, she meets a sailor on his way back to San Diego from leave. Eager for protection from the hitchhiker she's been seeing, she offers to drive the sailor to San Diego herself. However, she is still paranoid about the hitchhiker, and when she sees him on the road she tries to run him over. The sailor, who can't see him, begins to fear for her sanity and leaves her. In Arizona, Nan stops to call her mother. The woman who answers the phone says that Mrs. Adams is in the hospital; she had a nervous breakdown after finding out that her daughter, Nan, was killed in a car accident in Pennsylvania six days ago when the car she was driving blew a tire and overturned. At this point, Nan realises the truth: she did not survive the accident at the beginning of the episode, and the hitchhiker is not a man who wants her to die, but is rather the personification of death, patiently and persistently waiting for her to realise that she has been dead all along. Nan returns to the car and sees the hitchhiker sitting in the back seat through the reflection of the vanity mirror on the visor. "I believe you're going...my way?", he inquires.

Closing Narration

“

Nan Adams, age twenty-seven. She was driving to California—to Los Angeles. She didn't make it. There was a detour…through The Twilight Zone.

”

This episode was adapted from the original radio play by Lucille Fletcher, first presented on the November 17, 1941. This was a new concept to me, as I discovered radio dramas were an important part of American storytelling culture: dramatised, purely acoustic performances broadcasted on radio, entirely told through the medium of sound and music.

This episode was ground-breaking at the time for implementing a famous plot twist, the "main character was dead all along!" rigamarole. Additionally, I noticed this was subtly hinted at several times in the episode. For example, the mechanic fixing her tire after a near-death car accident (that was later revealed as her actual death) during the beginning of the episode, he says, in a great dual meaning, she “must be on the side of the angels.” As she drives away, she spots for the first time a mysterious hitchhiker who she’ll see all across the country, begging a ride just from her.

Nan, the independent working woman driving across country for nothing more than fun, is given no backstory, no man she’s chasing down or fleeing from, no tortured or angelic past. She shares her name with one of series creator Rod Serling’s daughters, and maybe this has something to do with the refreshing absence of the typical moralistic or misogynistic structure of a story of a woman alone on the road. Nan’s internal monologue, in the voiceover of actress Inger Stevens, carries the episode along, as it would in a radio play. However, this is accompanied by abundant shots from within the car of America flying by — unusual at a time when so many driving scenes were done in studios with stock footage playing in the background — and Nan’s face registering her anxiety about the hitch-hiker’s reappearances.

The cinematographer of this episode, Alvin Ganzer, uses a great deal of natural light, also unusual for the period; this, too, adds to the vague or hard-to-define tone of the episode. There are a number of terrific closeups of Steven’s face that exhibit the kind of subtlety that was never the trademark of TZ overall, ranging from perplexity to an occasional, unexpected, eerie calm and peace.

This screenshot is a tight shot from the episode. It demonstrates how the episode is almost perfectly divided between sunlight (natural light) and darkness.

Additionally, later on in the episode after Nan desperately picks up a sailor returning to the docks after coming home for a break, while the sailor makes some mild comments about her looks and, after she veers wildly in an attempt to hit the hitchhiker, she tries to get him to stay with intimations that she wanted him to “take her out,” the encounter is of a piece with the gentle, humane tone of the entire episode: there’s always a threat of sexual violence that comes with the fictional presentation of any encounter between a woman and a stranger at night, but in the end, it’s the sailor that ironically flees, scared off by Nan’s intensity and confusion.

The major plot twist of the episode arrives when Nan phones home and is told her mother is mourning from her daughter's sudden death on an accident a few days prior on the motorway. Nan resignedly succumbs to her fate and looks into her rearview mirror to finally acknowledge the hitchhiker. Here, the counterpoint of Nan’s look of exhausted acceptance and the hitchhiker’s wry smile is exquisite. the ending makes clear that Nan’s death is not a punishment; it’s just the way of us all, a fact that must be accepted eventually. 

This episode, especially the deathly plot twist, was commenting on the historical and cultural social factors of the fatalistic and paranoid view of American society of the time. It really epitomised the McCarthyism of the time. Nan, the figurative symbol for petrified American society, self-creates a fantastical horrific tale of the hitchhiker by her own doing, while the hitchhiker, the symbol of communist allegiances or sympathies, quietly unsettles her, never overtly attempting to assault her, but inhumanely following and almost haunting her until the point when she finally accept her demised fate. The message of the episode really encapsulated the attitude of America at the time– death was inevitable and although we might try to prolong the chase, ultimately, death isn't a punishment, but merely the end of a very long day.

The final scene, in which the plain-faced hitch-hiker sinisterly says with a smile: "I believe you're going... my way?"

THE TWILIGHT ZONE

“You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension: a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You’re moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You’ve just crossed over into… the Twilight Zone.”

This quote is from the hit TV show The Twilight Zone. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained fantasy, science fiction, suspense or horror. It often concludes a macabre or unexpected twist. It also introduced many Americans to the genre of science fiction.

During the 1950's, the genre of film noir started to decline because of the invention of the television. People started to stay home and watch TV for free rather than go out to the movies. At the forefront The Twilight Zone.

The term "twilight zone" predates the television program, and originally meant simply a "gray area". Rod Serling himself chose the title of the series; and said that only after the series aired did he discover that the twilight zone was also a term applied by the US Air Force to the terminator, the border between night and day on a planetary body. It applies to a collision of two things, the gap in between things, not one or the other.

Alfred Hitchcock criticized the medium's limitations. His most vocal complaints concerned the censorship frequently practiced by sponsors and networks. "I was not permitted to have my Senators discuss any current or pressing problem," he said of his 1957 production The Arena, intended to be an involving look at world politics.

Thus, The Twilight Zone frequently used science fiction as a vehicle for social comment. Networks and sponsors infamously censored all potentially "inflammatory" material, but remained ignorant of the methods developed by writers such as Ray Bradbury for dealing with important issues through seemingly innocuous fantasy.

The characteristics of science fiction are advanced technological gadgets, special effects, extra-terrestrials, futuristic technology, and non-human beings, such as monsters.

The themes of science fiction are the dangerous and sinister side of knowledge, vital issues about humankind, loss of personal individuality, good versus evil, prophetic nature, and anxiety about technological progress. This was very true for America that had just gone through World War 2, witnessing the invention and dropping of the atomic bomb, so these science fiction movies really tapped into every American's feeling of existentialism.

Frequent themes of The Twilight Zone include nuclear war, mass hysteria, and McCarthyism. McCarthyism is a vociferous campaign against alleged communists in the US government and other institutions carried out under Senator Joseph McCarthy in the period 1950–54. Many of the accused were blacklisted or lost their jobs, although most did not belong to the Communist Party.

During The Twilight Zone's run, episodes such as "The Shelter" or "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" offered specific commentary on current events. Other stories, such as "The Masks" or "The Howling Man" operated around a central allegory, parable, or fable that reflected the characters moral or philosophical choices.

CONTINUITY EDITING

Continuity editing is a way of breaking down a scene into a series of shots. The way shots are edited must permit the viewer to piece them together like a puzzle, and the techniques of continuity editing enable the viewer to create a continuous picture from the shots presented on screen. The key techniques of continuity Editing are: observing the 180-degree rule, the eyeline match, point-of-view cutting, the match on action cut, directional continuity, the establishing shot, parallel/cross-cutting, transitions and rhythm.

The 180-degree rule attempts to imitate, on screen, the space of Renaissance painting and proscenium space of the theater of the 19th-century. A film needs to remain consistent with the same axis of 180 degrees to retain continuity.

The eyeline match is another film editing technique associated with the continuity editing system. It is based on the premise that an audience will want to see what the character on-screen is seeing.

The POV cutting is a variant of the eyeline match. The first shot shows a person looking at an object, usually offscreen. The second shot shows the object of the person's gaze, from their point of view.

The match on action refers to film editing and video editing techniques where the editor cuts from one shot to another view that matches the first shot's action. The continuity of the same action across the shot creates coherence.

Directional continuity refers to the technique where if a person exits through the right of a screen, he should enter through the left.

The establishing shot is used to make transitions smooth, used at the beginning of stories of beginning of a new scene within the narrative. A re-establishing shot may be used after many scenes shot in the same location to help the audience keep up. It helps set the tone and pacing of a scene as well.

Parallel cutting or cross-cutting is the technique of alternating two or more scenes that often happen simultaneously but in different locations. If the scenes are simultaneous, they occasionally culminate in a single place, where the relevant parties confront each other. Alternatively, the cut could be used in the same location but occurring at different times (in history).

Jump cuts is a cut in film editing in which two sequential shots of the same subject are taken from camera positions that vary only slightly if at all. This type of edit gives the effect of jumping forwards in time or gives a disorienting feel to the scene.

Transitions are traditionally used to be as seamless and possible, but they can be more creative. For example, the dissolve can be used as a straightforward editing device to link any two scenes, or in more creative ways, as a use for a hallucinatory effect.

We edit because it gives directors complete control over events and actors. It also gives the viewer optimal access to the unfolding events and helps to prolong the suspense. It allows viewers to be more involved in action rather than focus on character psychology or the actor's performance; and eliminates unnecessary time and space.

In terms of how we treat time, the length of a shot is usually determined by the complexity of the images onscreen. Long shots that are saturated with information than close-ups may need more time. Scenes should only last as long as the audience is required to watch in order to gather sufficient information.

When we edit, here are some questions we ask: How much cutting is there and why? Are the shots highly fragmented or relatively lengthy? What is the point of the cutting in each scene? To clarify? To lyricize? To create suspense? Is the editing manipulative? What is the rhythm of the editing? Does the personality of the filmmakers come through? Or is the editing purely functional? Is the editing a major language system in the film or does it play a minor role?

ARTISTIC RESPONSES

Overall (+ Sound) - 传家之宝

Here are my observations, commentary and artistic response to the Chinese film 传家之宝 by Chih-Ning, Juliette, Ocean and Trystin. I noticed there were lots of handheld shots. During the introduction, there was a nice vignette and shadows to indicate the main character's dejected mood from being fired. The shots in the auditorium were really ominous and used shadows really cleverly, especially featuring the woman's silhouette in shadow. During the opening, the music was a bit distorted and tinny, but it seemed almost intentionally imitating a German film, and the authentic sound was good and the voiceovers were smooth. I really enjoyed the use of the clock ticking during the sofa scene. During the same scene, there was also a nice use of framing with the candles in the foreground and sofa in the background. Then the tinny music transitioned to a traditional noir jazz when Linda Lee came on screen. In the office scene, the highlighter on the page stood out really nicely, even with black and white. However, the foley when the main male protagonist stepped in the foyer was a bit out of sync. There were really smooth and interesting transitions, especially with one across the screen that showed the room number and their heads moving across. The plot twist was really awesome, and the Chinese aspect of it was really admirable; I really applaud their English subtitles and having a Chinese teacher cast. The variety of shots and mise en scene was really varied and intriguing, and you can tell the amount of effort that went into the film.

Overall (+ Sound) - Twenty Sixteen

Here are my observations, commentary and artistic response to the political film Twenty Sixteen by Jamie, Karuna, David and Gio. During the opening scene, there was patriotic music, which set the ambiance for the ensuing political scene. However, he mise en scene during the introduction slightly confused me as the patriotic music didn't really match with the natural foliage shot, and the foliage shot didn't really link to the plot, but the shot was undoubtedly nicely framed. The sound levels were relatively stable all throughout. The high contrast table shot had good cinematography and depicted him in shadow while the good woman was illuminated in light. The low-key noir lighting was nice during a tight shot of this face talking for the first ten or so seconds, but the longer it went the more I thought they could have spiced up the shot, maybe with the sound or by changing the shot. I thought the inspirational music fitted the mood during his press conference. Additionally, the office shot with mirrored lights in the background was very visually interesting, but I wasn't sure how it enhanced the mood or imagery of the film. Sometimes I could tell the mic was too far away so the sound changed from scene to scene, but overall it was relatively consistent. I liked how the dark shadows and gloomy lighting in the home alluded to the mundane relationship between the politician and his wife. Cinematography going up the stairs was really nice, however, the exposure was a bit unpredictable during bits in sunlight. The sound with the wife slapping was slightly louder than necessary, there was a bit of lack of music and the static levels varied from the voiceover to sound on site. The mise en scene in the crowd scene was really good, choosing a small room with a crowd of people to make it seem more packed rather than a half-hearted auditorium scene. The editing seemed to find its way as the film progressed, especially during the montage of the protagonist and femme fatale.