Liverpool Documentary film project | Feb/March 2012

Today we received our brief on our next assignment which is documentary.
I undertook the role of cinematography and oppose to my usual director/edit role.
We have been placed into groups of 5 and will shoot the documentary in Liverpool 5/6th of March

From here I will research into Liverpool related stories, dslr documentary and interesting camera angles that i can get from our location.

Evaluation of editing process.

The editing process was set over 3 days however I didn't anticipate it taking as long as it did, so left the majority to the day before it was due in. However this lead to the some aspects of the editing being rushed such as scene 16.
From this I have learnt the importance of time management and how it can effect the production. I have also learnt that Editing within Experimental film takes a much bigger more important role than other film genres and therefore should have allocated more time to the post production. I am happy with the outcome but can see how it can be better plus two scenes I enjoyed had to be removed due to the 5 minute time constraint.

Editing process

Today I began the editing process, ordered and placed roughly the shots together in conjunction with the script.

Finished shooting.

Just finished the 5 day shoot and pleased with the outcome. All desired shots were achieved except one outdoor scene that is scene 15. We originally scheduled the shoot for the 4pm on Friday, however when arriving on location we found the shots to be too dark (as wrote in the script) however we discussed on location and felt an AM shoot would be more appropriate for a "calm" scene.
This has been rescheduled to Saturday AM now.

Script - location hunting?

Due to our script currently being quite advanced in terms of location.

I have took it upon myself to arrange some of the locations.

The bar scene, after scouting around 8-12 bars, The Rutland arms pub said that it would be OK to film a 3 hour shoot on monday morning before they officially open. I have therefore also contacted the actor who will be playing Tom to come meet us for this shoot.

Office scene, the office location is suitable to be shot in the university library. I have contacted the library and booked two rooms for a Sunday when its more quiet. These will form both Richard's and Steve's corrosponding office rooms

Shot list

I have done a shot list for each day of the shoot, this will help keep us organise and will prevent us missing any shots 

MONDAY

Scene 4

SHOT NO	DESCRIPTION – JACKS BATHROOM. NIGHT
1	CU Jack/Steve raises his head.
2	POV washing in bathtub and looking around
3	POV following “blink” Blood filled bathtub
4	Mid shot from behind. Jack jumps out of bath
5	Close up jack facing away from bath. Slowly turns around
6	OTS Jack sees water is fine and splashes in anger
7	Long shot panning away – Jack panting and staring at bath
8

Scene 5

SHOT NO	DESCRIPTION – IN. EMPTY ROOM NIGHT
1	Mid shot pan – Jack sat in the middle of a room on the floor
2	Close up – Jack is calm fiddling with something i.e. tv, ipod
3	Hallucination 1 starts – mid shot. Jack running around fast (multiple cut and sped up in post)
4	Close up with steady cam or similar. Jack rushing around room.
5	Close up – Jack lying on floor again panting and looking quite on edge
6
7
8

Scene 6

SHOT NO	DESCRIPTION – INT. JACKS BEDROOM. NIGHT.
1	CU Jack jumps out of his sleep to a womans voice
2	Side angle mid shot – Jack slowy wakes and climbs onto bed
3	POV Jack lying on bed looking for remote
4	POV blink effect – Jack falling asleep
5
6
7
8

 TUESDAY 

TUESDAY

Scene 11

SHOT NO	DESCRIPTION – EXT. High street. DAY
1	POV – Jack looking around and panting almost running down a busy high street
2	CU frontal with steady cam – weaving through people passing by and looking lost.
3	POV – (same POV long take) weaving through passing people They glare at him
4	Long shot – Across road Jack weaving through and heading towards alley.
5	POV – Jack turns into alley where he then kneels down – stares at his knees

Scene 12

SHOT NO	DESCRIPTION – INT. JACKS KITCHEN. NIGHT
1	POV still staring at knees looks up to find kitchen location
2	Mid shot – Jack stands up looking confused
3	OTS pan – Jack sorting through dirty washing
4	CU from inside washing machine as parts of clothing are put in one at a time
5	Side angle mid shot – putting in stuff into the washing machine
6	POV pulls out clean towel and looks and at.
7	POV (after blink) towel is covered in blood but doesn’t notice due to sorting through other washing / checking phone
8	POV (after second blink) towel is normal and Jack shoves the rest into washing machine
9	CU from inside washing machine.. remaining washing placed in and door is closed.

Scene 13

SHOT NO	DESCRIPTION – INT BATHROOM. NIGHT
1	LONG – mid shot pan across outside bathroom door. Jack brushing teeth / washing face
2	CU/ Macro of water in sink
3	CU frontal using steady cam equipment – Jack drying face with towel still facing down at sink.
4	OTS looks up at reflection... Standing still
5	OTS reflection covered in blood and screaming at him.
6	Mid shot – Jack falls to floow with hands over head. Punching the floor in anger.
7	Long take – 15 seconds ? Jack lying on floor crying with anger.
8	POV Jack is looking around after hearing a clicking sound. Fast pans left and right (transition purposes)

Equipment list for shooting

Equipment list

Experimental film group project

Connor Elliott / James Mellors / Amy Jackson 

Pentax K-X dSLR camera.

Asahi 50mm f1.7 lens

18mm Fish eye lens

Pentax DAL kit lens | 18-55mm

SLR Tripod

Marantz 660

Rifle Mic

Steady cam grip or similar.

SD HC memory card 8gb x 3

I have printed off a copy of this and will show to the university media stalls so that the remaining equipment could be borrowed 

Inland Empire (2006) - David Lynch

Inland empire is seen as experimental and illusive as films go. I thoroughly enjoyed the film and found it to be an entertaining but also indifferent watch. On a personal note I found the film to play on my mind a lot and really had to think about what was truly going on. The story also switches forward and backwards and doesn't play entirely in chronological order. This truly confused me as a viewer and had to re-watch some scenes. This is an interesting concept keeping the film illusive and plan to apply this to my own production.

Enter the void (2009) - Gaspar Noe

Prior to starting this experimental film assignment I knew very little into the experimental genre. After watching enter the void. I now feel I am educated in the genre and what it entails from a film making point of view. 


Enter the void is set in Tokyo's nasty underside, seen primarily through the eyes of Oscar, a druggie, whose sister Linda is a stripper. Oscar also has flashbacks to his childhood when trauma upends the siblings. Oscar's drug-fed hallucinations alter Tokyo's already-disconcerting nights, and after the police shoot him, he can float above and look down: on his sister's sorrow, on the rooms of a love hotel, and on life at even a molecular level.


Personally I feel from "enter the void" I can take away shot style and unique framing such as the pov and front camera attachment.

Star Guitar - The Chemical Brothers (Michel Gondry)

We watched this music video in class. Although the video consisted of a single train journey and has little relevance to my own production, I enjoyed how the imagery was synced well to the music and therefore overall created a more enjoyable watch - the editing was also quite indifferent. From this I have realised the importance of pacing and syncing up the audio and video with great detail

Script.

Antigonish - Experimental film

1.  INT. EMPTY ROOM. NIGHT

STEVE is sat in the centre of an empty room on the floor staring at the floor; he then slowly starts to lift his head.

2.  INT. BAR. DAY

STEVE lifts his head and is sat at a table inside a bar with his friend TOM both having a pint of beer.

TOM

Find something to focus on.

(beat)

Get a hobby; get a better job, one you like doing.

(beat)

Get a girlfriend; you need to get a good fuck.

(beat)

Forget Tracy, where the fuck has she even gone?

Suddenly STEVE is screaming at TOM then suddenly is sat normally at the table again; TOM is no longer sat at the table. STEVE looks around and notices TOM sat in the same position as before but at the table behind him, STEVE gets up and walks back to TOM.

TOM

Where are the drinks?

STEVE

What?

TOM

The drinks? Are you ok?

STEVE begins to sit back down at the table across from TOM.

3.  INT. BAR TOILETS. DAY

STEVE sits down and discovers he has just sat down in a toilet cubicle. STEVE gets up and walks to the toilet sinks. STEVE stares at his own reflection in the mirror which smiles at him and then walks away from the mirror. STEVE turns to look and follow where his reflection has gone to see the bathroom door closing. He turns to look at the mirror where his reflection is back there, there is a delay in his reflections movement compared to his real movement and then his reflection smiles at him.

STEVE turns on the taps and lowers his head to wash his face with cold water and then begins to raise his head again.

4.  INT. STEVES BATHROOM. NIGHT

STEVE raises his head to discover he is now in his bathtub, he washes his face a few times and then leans back breathing long, calm breathes with his eyes closed.

STEVE then opens his eyes to find that the bath is full of blood, screaming he jumps out of the bath but when he looks back he finds the bath is full of normal water again. STEVE stands there breathing heavily looking at the water.

5. INT. EMPTY ROOM. NIGHT

STEVE is sat in the middle of the room on the floor.

6. INT. STEVES BEDROOM. NIGHT

STEVE walks into his bedroom and sits on his bed breathing heavily, he then lays down and breathes more slowly calming himself down. As he is lying down he hears the sound of a woman say his name repeatedly. Suddenly the unknown woman’s voice snaps his name loudly and STEVE quickly rises.

7. INT. STEVES OFFICE. DAY

STEVE quickly rises to discover he was just resting on his desk at his work place. JANET his manager’s assistant is standing looking over him.

JANET

Sleeping on the job now?

STEVE

I…

JANET

(Pointing to the computer screen)

And I suppose you think this is a great laugh as well?

STEVE looks at the computer screen where on word is written in big font size and capital letters “FUCK YOU”. STEVE shakes his head in confusion looking around him.

JANET

Richard wants to see you.

JANET shakes her head as she quickly leaves the office. STEVE waits till she has walked past the window then suddenly jumps out of his chair and looks out of the blinds of his office. He then leans back with his eyes closed.

8. INT. RICHARDS OFFICE. DAY

STEVE rushes into his manager RICHARD’S office without knocking.

RICHARD

You could knock before you enter.

STEVE slams the door shut behind him and then instantly begins looking through the blinds again.

RICHARD

Steve?

STEVE quickly turns to look at RICHARD.

STEVE

You wanted to see me?

RICHARD

Yes I wanted to see you, Steve sit down.

STEVE walks towards RICHARD’S desk and begins to sit down.

9. INT. FRONT ROOM. NIGHT

STEVE sits down on an arm chair and is now in an unknown front room. The room is empty with just an empty table and another empty arm chair in front of him.

A Woman named TRACY appears in the arm chair looking at STEVE. Then a glass of alcohol appears in STEVES hand followed by the table being filled up with bottles of gin & vodka with empty glasses and an ashtray full of cigarette nubs.

The woman is then suddenly smoking a cigarette smiling at STEVE.

TRACY

It’s like the most beautiful piece of music you’ve ever heard.

(beat)

Then it’s like a hundred crying babies fucking screaming in your ears.

STEVE stares at her bluntly. Intense music. 

TRACY

You not drinking?

TRACY points to STEVES glass in his hand. STEVE looks at the glass then necks it whole and slams the glass on the table. He pours himself another drink and necks it again, then his third, fourth, and fifth.

STEVE looks forward, TRACY is no longer sat on the chair in front of him, and he looks to his side where she is sat next to him smiling. She reaches forward and begins kissing his neck, STEVE stays facing forward.

Suddenly TRACY is pulling STEVES hair and STEVE is screaming loudly. Then she is kissing his neck again, then STEVE is strangling TRACY, then TRACY is sat next to him again smiling at him, she slaps him playfully around the face and begins to laugh. Then they are both laughing loudly. Then it is just TRACY giggling, STEVE stares at TRACY then slaps her hard around the face, he then pushes her hard to the floor and picks up an empty bottle about to smash it on her head, then a hand grabs his arm stopping him.

10. INT. BAR. DAY

STEVE is in the bar standing in the middle of the room with his arm in the air, he looks at his hand which is now empty and TOM is grabbing his arm looking at him.

TOM

What you playing at?

All the customers and the bar manager are staring at him.

BAR MANAGER

I think you better leave mate.

STEVE shakes TOM loose and quickly leaves the bar, running away down the street.

11. EXT. HIGH STREET. DAY

STEVE quickly walks down the street nervous, and confused. Every person he passes stares at him. He begins to run down the street where everyone is still staring at him. He runs into an alleyway where he rest against the wall and begins to kneel down.

12. INT. STEVES KITCHEN. NIGHT

STEVE is kneeling down with his washing basket in front of him next to his washing machine. He begins putting his dirty washing into the washing machine. STEVE then picks up a bloody towel and then throws it on the floor; he slides away and then runs out of the room.

13. INT. BATHROOM. NIGHT

STEVE is washing the blood of his hands and looks at his reflection. His reflection starts screaming at him covered in blood. STEVE punches his reflection and falls to the floor with his head in his hands. He hears a clicking sound that appears to come from nowhere, he looks around trying to find the source of the sound.

14. INT. RICHARDS OFFICE. DAY

RICHARD is clicking his fingers trying to get STEVES attention. STEVE turns to looks at RICHARD.

RICHARD

Are you even listening to me?

STEVE

I'm having trouble sleeping…

(beat)

My head…

(beat)

I can't-

RICHARD

See the thing is, it's just that-

You're fucking useless.

RICHARD grabs some scissors from his stationary holder and thrusts them towards STEVE threatening.

RICHARD

You're fucking nothing. I'm going to cut your neck off and shit down your throat.

RICHARD leaps from his seat and launches himself over his desk to STEVE. STEVE picks up the computer monitor and smashes it over RICHARDS head. RICHARD falls to the floor and moans in pain.

RICHARD

What the fuck are you doing, you're fucking insane.

STEVE runs out of the office.

15. EXT. NICE PLACE. DAY

STEVE is sat looking out at a view reflecting etc.

He turns to leave when a cloaked figure just forwards and grabs him.

16. INT. STEVES BEDROOM. NIGHT

STEVE is sat in his room.

Initial Idea

Now grouped together with James Mellors and Amy Jackson, we met up to share and discuss ideas. We all liked the idea of creating an experimental film based around a character getting lost in their thoughts which visually would have a lot potential for interesting shots and scenes. For example a mental illness such as schizophrenia or heavy drug taking.
Over the next few days me and James will be working at putting a script for the film together.

SEMESTER 2 - EXPERIMENTAL PROJECT

We have been asked to create a 5minute experimental piece in groups of 3. Our starting point will be one of the following:
- A single Object
- A single word
- A single poem