Final Grade

Well I think all that needs to be said is that I got a DISTINCTION!

Exhibition Night

Finally after months of toiling away with my film it was great to at last see my film on the big screen as 20 - 30 people all sat around watching it with me. Some of my family came to support me and the feeling was just fantastic, I had a few reservations about how my film would be perceived but everyone seemed to enjoy it and for that I can be quite proud.

Preparations For The Exhibition

This is the diary of the week during the run in to the exhibition night.

Monday
I continued to build the display boards and painted them white, I then moved them into our space with the help from a few other students. As the boards were quite wet we couldn't really much do more that day.

Tuesday
I moved more boards into the show space and then moved some into our cinema room. In the cinema we created a corridor leading into the viewing space. The boards had to be painted white, we also put up a few wooden beams to help support the boards.

Wednesday
We finalized the gallery space by putting up the display boards and fixing them to the floor for safety reasons. They also had to have a quick lick of paint.

Thursday
We continued work in the cinema by attaching curtains to the display boards and the walls to create a realistic cinema space. We also had real cinema seats placed in the centre of the room for the audience to sit.

Friday
Today I didn't do much work on the show rooms but as a class we all had a quick meeting about the display of our work and how we wanted it to be presented.

The Final Cut

Finally Dreamer's Rest is complete, the editing process was relatively simple. Before I joined the course I was already familiar with the various editing tools and with the help of Brian I was able to get the film bang into shape without much fuss. However, I spent a little longer editing than anticipated, this was due to the long filming process and the little problem I had with the sound. I had to re-record all the sound again and overlay it back onto the film, it was a blend of luck and perseverance, all the dates I spent recording and all the audio I have recorded are documented in my production diary.
One thing I noted in my diary was that I felt the film hadn't turned out well and that I felt the music let the film down, I have had a change of heart since then, I feel incredibly passionate about my work and sometimes I read into the negatives more than the positives. Now that the film has been watched by a number of people and been liked I can now see that the film is a success and that even though the filming process was hard and at times to much for one person to handle I have indeed created a good piece of film. I should be proud and I am.    

Visual Motifs and Meanings

       Here I’ve created a list of all the meanings and visual motifs within my FMP;

·         The Colour Purple; The main character is seen wearing purple all the way through the film, even when he’s at work and at home. Though purple is widely considered the colour of royalty I’ve read that purple is rare in nature and can appear artificial. I wanted the lost spirit to be like a star shaped block trying to fit into a circular hole, I doubt many people will notice the meaning of his purple attire but it’s there nonetheless.

·         The Empty Village; In my early story boards I wanted the village to appear empty, like the villagers were unable to leave their homes and walk the streets because nature had taken over. In the final cut there isn’t much of the empty village on show but what we do see are empty playgrounds and pitches, for such a beautiful day no one is around to enjoy it. I also have a shot of an angel statue, I wanted to show that not even religion or God can stand in the way of nature.

·         The Flowers; I wanted to show that the nymph was part of nature but without a budget to buy suitable clothes or effects to help blend her into the woods I decided to have her hold onto different flowers in each of her scenes, we see her playing with them, admiring them. I think this is the strongest visual motif in the film, it had to be.

·         The Pear; Having briefly read a Japanese myth were if one is to eat food from another realm it would make it difficult to return home I wanted the lost spirit to receive a piece of fruit as a gift. At first I was going to use an apple but after some time I changed it to a pear, the pear is symbol of immortality. The lost spirit is offered the chance to live amongst the woodland spirits until the end of time.

·         The Ruined House; When both characters approach the ruined house the nymph becomes exited, that is because in her realm the ruin is a beautiful manor where people gather to dance and hold market stalls. You can see the nymph begin to dance when she moves into the centre of the ruin and you can also hear the noises of the crowd when the lost spirit closes his eyes.

·         Removing The Mask; When the lost spirit finally catches up with the nymph he removes her mask. I wanted to show that he has finally remembered who he is and the veil of uncertainty has been lifted. He also greets her as an old friend and gladly returns to the nether realm with her.

·         The Stone Circle; As both characters fade away back to the nether realm you’ll notice they are standing on a stone circle this is an ancient magical teleportation device that can be used to travel between realms.  It’s my little wink to all those video games that have their characters travel around using magic stones and portals. I was heavily influenced with the video game ‘Folklore’ early on in the project so I thought it was a nice way to finish off the film.    

Audio Recording Done

3rd June.

I finally managed to get out and finalize the much needed audio for my film, again due to the wind ruining the sound while I was out filming the actual film I've had to record new sounds to place over the images.

More information can be found in my production diary.

Editing And Sound Update

25th of May.

I have blended the 'Wind Waker' theme tune with the 'Greek market sounds' to create a lively atmosphere - I've used Adobe Audition to do this. The process didn't take long, I just needed to adjust the volume levels.

I've also recorded the prologue voice over with Cameron, it sounds good, he spoke very clearly and in the manner I wanted. He mumbles towards the end slightly so I'll have to re-record that once we get back to college.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Most of the editing for the film is complete, I've gone over each scene and adjusted the sound and the contrast. All that's needed now is the wild track and the theme music.   

Filming Is Now Over

On the 24th of May Cameron, Millie and Myself went to Cornholme to finish off my film. The weather was a slight problem because it didn't really know what it wanted to do, the sun was out then it was grey, didn't help me with the camera as I was trying to get the lighting and the white balance right, during editing I've had to mess around with the contrast.

The day went as smooth as it could have, Cameron and Millie were game and I felt I directed the shoot much better than before. I communicated better and the actors responded better. Also, for the first time I felt we nailed every shot, before I had to sacrifice some of my ideas because I couldn't get the shot just right but on the day the key shots were nailed and that's something that should be considered very pleasing and positive.

As the project is coming towards its end I wont be able to re-shoot any scenes. I'll just have to make do with what I've got. I'd like to say I don't have many scenes in mind to re-shoot but that's not the case. As the project has gone on and I've pondered on the final images I've come up with new angles, new shots and cut ins that I would have liked to put in to the final film. Sadly I'll just have to take it on the chin and take those ideas and newly developed techniques into my next project.    

List of Sounds I Need

Here are a list of primary sounds I need to help bring my film to life;

1- Walking on grass.
2- Running on grass.
3- Walking on soil.
4- Running on soil.
5- Walking on gravel.
6- Running on gravel.
7- Walking on the pavement.
8- Running on the pavement.
9- Sound scape of the woods... about a minute will be fine. 

Last Film Date Changed

Due to circumstances I've had to move the last film day to Tuesday the 24th of May, this is because Cameron is taking part in a music festival and we wouldn't be back in Blackburn in time for him to leave along with the other course students. This has freed me up some time to go out and record the audio for the film. The film is likely to be completed right at the last minute but that cant be helped, organizing my crew and actors is not easy when they themselves have FMPs to complete.  

Re - Shoot Day

On the 18th of May I went back to Billinge woods with Millie to re film some of her scenes. As she is a nymph its important she relaxes and moves about in a playful, comfortable way so I thought it would be good for her to have another crack, see if she can perform better than last time.

- I filmed the dream sequence where the nymph is sat looking over the pond. I just set the camera up with the tripod and left it recording for about a 60 seconds.

- I also re filmed the last scenes of the 'pear' chapter. The nymph offers the lost spirit a pear and way back into the spirit realm, a sign of him accepting he is not going back to human civilisation. Again it was important Millie was relaxed so she could appear more at home in the woods.

- I also shot two new scenes; Millie sat in a tree watching the lost spirit run about and another where she appears from behind a tree. Originally that scene was at a distance but now I can cut the two together and create a scene with a bit more going on and a bit more camera movement. That scene is a very important scene, its at the very beginning of the lost spirits entrance into the woods so I did feel that scene needed something more, now, I think its just right.    

Majority Of The Film Captured

On the 12 of May myself, Ryan, Millie and Cameron went to Witton park, Billinge woods then to Feniscowles to shoot about 70 - 80 % of the film. Thankfully, though it did take a while, we stuck at it and we did capture more than enough footage.

We had a problem with the microphone, Ryan who was working with the mike and the headset said he was unable to hear the audio properly. A discussion with Brian at a latter date revealed there was no problem. Watching the footage back I've realized I wont be using any of the sound we captured anyway, I'll have to go out myself and record the sounds again so that the film will have consistent audio. The wind was a big problem on the day of the shoot.

More notes for this shoot can be found in my notebook.

Office Scene's To Be Cut Short

I've completed editing the opening office scene for the film but I've had to cut away quite a lot of footage, stuff I intended to use but they simply weren't working. The film jumped around far to much, one moment the spirit was at home then at work then back home; it just didn't sit well. What I have at the moment is a short scene that's complemented by the prologue, we get to see a lost spirit struggling to fit in with every day, normal human routines without over showing his boredom or frustrations.    

Mask Swap

The mask I ordered for my film didn't arrive in time for the first day of filming (I'm still waiting for them now) so I had to go to plan B. I remember seeing a shop in Manchester that sold cheap carnival/ball masks so I went and had look, Millie came along with me, it was a chance for her to try on a few masks and see if they fitted well; the last thing I wanted at this point was a nymph without her mask.

In the end we found a purple mask that seemed to be the best quality mask out of a limited selection but it was a mask attached to a stick with no ribbon to fasten itself to Millie's head so I had to buy some ribbon and Velcro it to the inside, the short stick came off quite easily.

As there wasn't a whole lot to choose from I'm slightly disappointed I couldn't find a green or earthly coloured mask. As it is the purple mask is quite nice but I cant really explain how or why that colour fits in the with the theme of spirits and the nether realm. Having said that the whole appearance of the nymph is quite mysterious, playful and beautiful so I guess it ticks all the right boxes.

The Dreams

This is the opening 'prologue' were the lost spirit describes his dreams. I'll record Cameron saying this with a audio recorder;

'I keep having these dreams about being lost in the woods, but strangely I feel at home. I see a girl, I cannot see her face but I think I know her, I cant be sure.
The dreams feel as if they are a faded memory, a dying remnant of a past life. All I know is that I cannot remember the days before I began having these dreams. They have consumed me, I cannot breath while I'm awake.'  

The Beginning

Now that I have all the opening scenes filmed I can see how the film will open and I have to say I was a little concerned. I don't think the office and the home scenes cut well together so I've decided to create a new opening scene.

The film fades in from black and we see a small boxed image of the nymph playing about near a small pond in the woods, its black and white and slightly blurry, its a dream. Then we hear the lost spirits voice describing his dreams and how they are affecting him. This will help give the audience a stronger understanding of the character and will set the film up in the way I intended, with the lost spirit unable to live a normal life and his desire to just get away, get lost somewhere.

First Day Of Filming

Today we filmed the opening scenes of my film (working title; Dreamers Rest). We filmed in one of the college's staff rooms and my living room at home with Cameron as my lost spirit struggling to find the desire to work, he's trapped in a life not his own and therefore cannot find peace, he's restless in our world.
Ryan helped me with the camera equipment, at first I wanted him to use the camera and I would do the required paperwork and hold the microphone but the truth is only I really know what my film is going to look like and its hard for any of my crew members to really get to grips with my 'vision' for the film without the sufficient briefing and so after a couple of shots I decided it was best for me to use the camera and Ryan hold the microphone.  Soon after; the session went by very quickly and without much fuss, I'm also very grateful to Cameron and Ryan for putting the time in and giving me there own input throughout the session, its much needed at this stage of my education and greatly benefits the film.  

Theme Music

I've spoken to Mark about the music I would like him to make me for the film. Unlike what we did with my Spain film, I cant just hand over the finished film for him to work on, there just isn't enough time. So what he's doing is making me two pieces of music, both about 30 - 40 seconds long. One will be quite upbeat and the other will have much more of an edge. What I will do is put these pieces of music in specific places in my film and just raise or lower the volume when I need to; because the film lacks any strong dialogue the music is a very important part of the film and it would have been a shame to use another films music, my backup plan was to use the music from The Lord Of The Rings, thankfully that doesn't appear to be needed now.
I'll just have to keep in close contact with Mark over the next few weeks, as I have already said the music is a vital piece of my film.  

Filming Dates Set!

Today I have spoken to my film crew and we have set a plan for the days we can make the film;

Film - 5th May
Edit - 10th May
Film - 12th May
Edit - 17th May
Film - 18th May
Film - 19th May
Edit - 24th May

This will likely change as the weeks go by but at least now we all have a good idea how long production will last and what days we need to film.
A slight concern is Ozzy, he seems to be quite busy with his own FMP so I may need to search of another crew member before the 12th of May.

Test Shoot, Billinge Woods, Edit

Having filmed a short test scene in the woods with Cameron I was eager to get in the edit room to see how the footage looked and how the various shots appeared on a bigger screen. Thankfully I was very pleased with what we had taken, Cameron looked very comfortable on screen, before hand it was a big worry but now I'm very pleased with both my actors, I think they'll both do really well.
If the footage told me anything then its the need to film on a dull day, though it may seem strange to want to film a picture about nature on a darker day it does allow the lush greenery of the woods to take hold of the film; the sunlight seems to white wash the area leaving the footage to bright and it covers the beautiful, natural detail of the woods. Obviously due to the circumstances I cant pick and choose what days I want to film because I have to take into consideration the time of my crew, they also have an FMP to make. I hope, with a bit of look we'll film on a dull day and let the true beauty of nature break through on screen.

Test Shoot, Billinge Woods

On the 2nd of May Cameron (my lost spirit) and I went to Billinge Woods to do another test shoot in preparation for the main film. We found a small part of the woods unknown to me, a place quite secluded and hidden, a place we can film a good portion of my film. There we found a small rocky ridge and a stagnating pond, we filmed a short scene that we made up on the spot just so that I could see what the location could bring to my film and it also gave Cameron a chance to get into character for the first time.The day went well and we managed to achieve the shots we wanted without much fuss.

Mask Bought

I have just bought the mask that Milly will be wearing for the film. I chose the colour blue because of the its calming shade. I want to show that this is a character not to be feared but because it covers her entire face your more likely to doubt her, the mask is emotionless so it will be difficult to trust her completely. Green would have been a safer colour but the blue is more likely to stand out, your more likely to focus on her face when watching the film. I will have to do a few test shots first to see if it does fit well, however I cant keep buying different masks so perhaps it will have to make do.

Bought On Ebay

Outland

Outland is a new XBL game that's just been released, what struck me about the game was the setting. Outland is based in a deep jungle and visual art style really brings the atmosphere and mood to a boil. Though the story and game play has nothing to do with my own film the music however is incredibly engaging and it go me thinking about what kind of sounds I want in my film. I'll have to contact Mark early next week when we are back at college and my storyboards are done so we can begin work on theme music. Worst comes to worst I'm going to have to find some music; I could do much worse than the music in Outland, at times it sounds quite tribal but occasionally it has a harrowing edge to it, a sense of the unknown.  

Here's an example;

Woodland Adverts / Film Scenes

I've been looking at adverts and other various scenes from films that contain woodland surroundings and sounds/music. I think while I'm rebuilding my storyboards it'll be good for me to have a look at the camera angles, movements and frames in other work.

Here is an advert that I saw on Youtube, it shows one or two establishing shots but more importantly the music is created with wooden tools. Its not music I'd want in my film but I really like the idea of introducing woodwind sounds into many of the scenes I have in mind.

The other pieces I've been looking at were not available on the net so I watched them on DVD and took notes in my notebook which will be presented along with all my other works. 

• Lord Of The Rings; The scenes in which Frodo and Sam are leaving the shire. Its a hopeful journey at the start of their quest.  
• The X Files; There is an episode based purely in the woods, though its supposed to be quite suspenseful and frighting it does show some good camera and frame work. 

Fruit In Mythology

I've had to take a look at the symbol of fruit because of my scene with the apple, I don't want to send out the wrong kind of message. I've been taking a look on the net about fruit in mythology and here's what I've found;

Apple. Apples are brimming with symbolic meanings and mythic associations. In China they represent peace, and apple blossoms are a symbol of women's beauty. In other traditions, they can signify wisdom, joy, fertility, and youthfulness.

Apples play an important part in several Greek myths. Hera, queen of the gods, owned some precious apple trees that she had received as a wedding present from Gaia, the earth mother. Tended by the Hesperides, the Daughters of Evening, and guarded by a fierce dragon, these trees grew in a garden somewhere far in the west. Their apples were golden, tasted like honey, and had magical powers. They could heal, they renewed themselves as they were eaten, and if thrown, they always hit their target and then returned to the thrower's hand.

For the eleventh of his 12 great labors, the hero Hercules* had to obtain some of these apples. After a long, difficult journey across North Africa, he enlisted the help of the giant Atlas, who entered the garden, strangled the dragon, and obtained the fruit. Hercules took the apples to Greece, but Athena* returned them to the Hesperides.

A golden apple stolen from Hera's garden caused the Trojan Warf, one of the key events in Greek mythology. Eris, the goddess of discord, was angry not to be included among the gods asked to attend a wedding feast. Arriving uninvited, she threw one of the apples, labeled "For the Fairest," onto a table at the feast. Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite* each assumed that the apple was meant for her. They asked Paris, a prince of Troy, to settle the matter, and he awarded the apple to Aphrodite. In revenge, Hera and Athena supported the Greeks in the war that led to the fall of Troy. People still use the phrase "apple of discord" to refer to something that provokes an argument.

In Norse* mythology, apples are a symbol of eternal youth. Legend says that the goddess Idun guarded the magical golden apples

Cherry. Cherries can symbolize fertility, merrymaking, and festivity. In Japan, where cherry blossoms are the national flower, cherries represent beauty, courtesy, and modesty. The ancient Chinese regarded the fruit as a symbol of immortality. One Chinese legend tells of the goddess Xi Wang Mu, in whose garden the cherries of immortality ripen every thousand years. Because cherry wood was thought to keep evil spirits away, the Chinese placed cherry branches over their doors on New Year's Day and carved cherry wood statues to stand guard in front of their homes.

Pear. In Greek and Roman mythology, pears are sacred to three goddesses: Hera (Juno to the Romans), Aphrodite (Venus to the Romans), and Pomona, an Italian goddess of gardens and harvests.

The ancient Chinese believed that the pear was a symbol of immortality. (Pear trees live for a long time.) In Chinese the word li means both "pear" and "separation," and for this reason, tradition says that to avoid a separation, friends and lovers should not divide pears between themselves.

Strawberry. Strawberries have special meaning to the Seneca of the northeastern United States. Because strawberries are the first fruit of the year to ripen, they are associated with spring and rebirth. The Seneca also say that strawberries grow along the path to the heavens and that they can bring good health.

My Take On The Fruits;

At first I was unsure whether it was appropriate to use an apple for the scene but after reading these brief notes I can see the apple is a symbol of peace, joy, fertility and youthfulness. An apple seems to me like a perfect choice for the scene I have in mind, unfortunately I think peoples perspective of the apple will always be religious so I'm now thinking of using a pear; a symbol of immortality, to return to nature would redeem him immortal, to live amongst the earthly spirits until the end of time. 
Strawberry's are another fruit which would be appropriate but again the strawberry is used in so many romantic films and stories, I don't want the nymph to appear in love with this man. He is a spirit being lead home, that's all there is to it. 

Crew Meeting

I had a quick meeting with Cameron, Milly, Ozzy and Ryan about my film. As the storyboards are not yet ready we discussed everyone's availability.
It seems we'll be filming during the week on either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday as these are the days everyone is most likely to be able to help, I don't want to interfere with anyone's work.
I'll be working closely with Cameron because we are both doing short films so luckily we can share ideas, techniques and experience when needed.

Cameron; Lost spirit
Milly; Nymph
Ryan; Camera
Ozzy; Camera/Sound
Mark; Theme music

Storyboard Tutorial

I showed Jamie and Andy my storyboard, they said it still needs some work doing to it before I can start filming. They had some general queries about some of the scenes I had in mind as well as costumes and music ect..

• I need to think about the grave yard scene and what it would mean to the viewer. (I'm already considering cutting it completely in favour of something else, yet to be decided)
• I need to think about the scene with the apple. The apple is symbolic in religion because of the garden of Eden. I knew this before hand but I can understand why it would muddy the message of the film, I'm not trying to create anything with religious connotations what so ever. 
• I really need to contact Mark Weller as quickly as possible because the music is becoming more vital each passing day. The music will aide me in the quest to tell the story I want.  
• I also need to think about costumes, again this is still something that is the least of my worries right now but with dead line day looming I need to start putting in place what the characters will be wearing. (Over the course of the week and the weekend I'll hopefully be doing a test shoot with Cameron, this is an opportunity to try out various clothes and get to handle the camera)

They also gave me some paperwork to take a look at over the next couple of days, a few film scripts and more importantly a shot list for editors and a location prep sheet. 

While my storyboard still needs work I think the best course of action is to take a look at programs and films that contains strong images of travelling and woodland areas so that I can see how they piece together the shots. I'll also take a look at some fantasy films in general, I've already seen Pan's Labyrinth so I'll have to find some more, I cant think of many in all honesty.    

Rough Film Day Guide

I've planed that it will take about 4 and half days to shoot the entire film at each location. This will take place from the 5th to the 20th of May. I'll be editing the film as I go so that I'm not left with to much work during the run in to deadline day.

Half Day; Film at home and in the College staff room.
1st Day; Feniscowles and Witton Park.
2nd Day; Billinge Woods.
3rd Day; Cornholme.

A 4th day will be added in case we need to re-shoot any of the scenes again. If done properly on the day I don't foresee any problems.
Its quite possible we wont need this many days, four or five hours of filming per day is far more than I need but it's important to have enough time nonetheless.

Storyboards Complete

Today I have my Storyboards complete and now starts the process of scheduling days suitable to film. I've already contacted my film crew and I'm awaiting their reply.

There will be 6 locations to film; College Staff Room, My Living Room, Cornholme, Witton Park, Billinge Woods and Feniscowles.

I've drawn a rough estimate of how many days it will take to film and I believe it should be wrapped up in 3 and a half days with a further 4th day as backup just in case we need to re-shoot any of the scenes again.

Most of the filming will be done at Witton, Billinge and Feniscowles so travel expenses should be quite low.

When we return to College I hope my storyboards get the green light.

Slight Problems Ahead

Now that I've started the script and the story boards the weight of the project has now just landed on my shoulders with full force. Though I feel to be in control and still very focused I'm worried the film will follow the same trend as my other films; my 'El Campamento' had a lot of scenery shots and travelling and my binned CELL-i film also had elements of travelling and as this film is about a journey so I don't want to appear like a one trick pony. The only sensible thing I can do is cut away a lot of the travelling scenes and focus more on the building relationship of the two characters; this will have an effect of the films length however, at first I planned a 12 to 15 min short film but now I can imagine it being a bit shorter.

'The Monk' Gothic Novel

This story came to my attention just the other day during a discussion with a friend. I have only briefly taken a look into the story and its various themes but there is one thing that stands quite clear over anything else, something that would help my own story. The main character, Ambrosio, is a devoted monk who falls from grace as he is undone by the lust for his pupil Matilda (a woman disguised as monk). She is forever present, always on his shoulder pushing him slightly to do her bidding or break his morals, but the process is subtly done and the reader is unsure whether to trust her or not.

I think what's relevant in my story is to not allow the viewer to trust the nymph when she appears on screen during the early scenes. I want them to ask questions about her purpose, her agenda. Even before hearing about 'The Monk' I did want to create the same sense of doubt but every little helps and becoming aware of this story can only help towards my final piece.

There is a film apparently and I intend to watch it sometime in the near future.

Here is a short passage about the plot line;

The story concerns Ambrosio - a pious, well-respected monk in Spain - and his violent downfall. He is undone by carnal lust for his pupil, a woman disguised as a monk (Matilda), who tempts him to transgress, and, once satisfied by her, is overcome with desire for the innocent Antonia. Using magic spells, Matilda aids him in seducing Antonia, whom he later rapes and kills. Matilda is eventually revealed as an instrument of Satan in female form, who has orchestrated Ambrosio's downfall from the start. In the middle of telling this story, Lewis frequently makes further digressions, which serve to heighten the Gothic atmosphere of the tale while doing little to move along the main plot. A lengthy story about a "Bleeding Nun" is told, and many incidental verses are introduced. A second romance, between Lorenzo and Antonia, also gives way to a tale of Lorenzo's sister being tortured by hypocritical nuns (as a result of a third romantic plot). Eventually, the story catches back up with Ambrosio, and in several pages of impassioned prose, Ambrosio is delivered into the hands of the Inquisitor; he escapes by selling his soul to the devil for his deliverance from the death sentence which awaits him. The story ends with the devil preventing Ambrosio's attempted final repentance, and the sinful monk's prolonged torturous death. Ambrosio finds out by the devil that the woman that he had raped and killed, Antonia, was indeed his sister.

The Work Begins

Today I've started work on the script and the storyboards for my FMP. All the work done will be presented within my notebook and my storyboard folder. Hopefully a rough draft can be completed quite soon so that I can allow one or two people to have a read which gives me enough time before shooting to make a few changes where necessary.

Masks

I've been wondering about the possibility of the nymph in my story to wear a mask and I've been doing some light reading on the origins of masks. During the ancient years masks were used as part of rituals and the worship of gods and spirits. The wearer would dance and play music.

Here are a few lines I've found on the net that refer to masks;


Ritual masks occur throughout the world, and although they tend to share many characteristics, highly distinctive forms have developed. The function of the masks may be magical or religious; they may appear in rites of passage or as a make-up for a form of theatre. Equally masks may disguise a penitent or preside over important ceremonies; they may help mediate with spirits, or offer a protective role to the society who utilise their powers.


Woodland tribes, especially in the North-East and around the Great Lakes, cross-fertilized culturally with one another. The Iroquois made spectacular wooden 'false Face' masks, used in healing ceremonies and carved from living trees. These masks appear in a great variety of shapes, depending on their precise function.


Shigong dance masks were used in shamanic rituals to thank the gods, while nuo dance masks protected from bad spirits.


Theatre in the Middle East, as elsewhere, was initially of a ritual nature, dramatising man's relationship with nature, the gods, and other human beings. It grew out of sacred rites of myths and legends performed by priests and lay actors at fixed times and often in fixed locations. Folk theatre — mime, mask, puppetry, farce, juggling - had a ritual context in that it was performed at religious or rites of passage such as days of naming, circumcisions, and marriages.


Old masks are preserved and can be seen in museums and other collections, and much research has been undertaken into the historical origins of masks. Most probably represent nature spirits.          

New Location Found

I always remembered seeing an old ruin every time I passed through Fenicowles, just on the way out of Blackburn hidden in this wonderful woodland area. On Tuesday I decided to have a ride out there on my bike to see if it could add anything to my already long list of shooting locations, thankfully the area is not hard to get to, a small hop over a wall and we're there.

I have to say I was breath taken, it a fabulous location. On the site there is what appears to be a partly destroyed building, a manor of sorts. It looks centuries old and the tress and grass have taken over most of it. Even though the road was only a few meters away standing at the foot of this huge ruin made me feel lost and isolated. I quickly took a few photos and left, the photos will be displayed in my FMP Photo Album which will be handed in along with my notebook. Once I have the photos developed I will seriously consider filming in this location, it would be a shame not to explore the potential of this ruin.     

The Story So Far

Its important that I write down the basic plot line so far, once its on paper and I can read through the story and it may be easier to see potential flaws and areas I can improve.

So, the story is about two characters; the male is a lost spirit trapped in the human world, unable to escape the rut he finds himself in. He has no knowledge of who he really is only that he has very specific dreams about a village, woods and girl he cannot recognize. The girl is a woodland spirit (a nymph) who is trying to lure the lost spirit back home into the woods.

At first I had the idea that the male character would receive some kind of letter asking him to return to the village, his curiosity gets the better of him and he goes, but now I'm thinking that he gets an eviction letter forcing him out of his house and then he decides to travel, he feels at home when outside, so he packs his bags and leaves. So he travels across the country side, not really planning on going anywhere but subconsciously he is leading himself back home, he then finds himself at the village and suddenly his dreams begin to feel more like memories.

At this point I'm not sure what happens because I planned a few scenes where he visits a grave yard called 'Dreamers Rest' because the letter directs him there and then the nymph reveals herself and takes him into the woods, without the letter I'm not sure why he would visit the graveyard.
I would love to film at that location because its such a beautiful place, nature has taken over and though the graves are those of people time has forgotten them.
Maybe, as he starts to recognize the village he may become curious about his heritage and he visits the graveyard in search of answers? I'll have to think about creating this link.

Anyway, when the nymph reveals herself she transports the lost spirit into the woods (with the help of some camera trickery). The story now becomes a journey of self discovery for the lost spirit, at first he does not trust her but as he follows her they become playful and suddenly he remembers he knows her, the girl in his dreams, the girl from his memories. She leads him into the heart of the woods where they bond and both return to nature.

To give some meat to the 3rd Act if I have to call it that I've been researching various angles such as colour theory and other folklore myths.
I would very much like the nymph to disappear and reappear at times and to show she is one with nature and not a ghost I could very easily plant small flowers to show this and as the lost spirit begins to accept that he is returning home rather then being taken to his doom he discards his bag, phone, and then removes his jacket/jumper which I hope to be of the colour purple ( I'll need to confirm this asap) which symbolizes his return to nature. His final act before returning home is when he eats food given by the nymph, to eat food of this spirit world will bind him to it and so the film ends as they both fade into nature.  

Folklore In 'Studio Ghibli' Films

As I was searching the net for links to folklore in films I came across this interesting essay that speaks about the various folklore references within the 'Studio Ghibli' films. As the project is heavily influenced by 'cinema anime' I thought I'd take a look. 

Most of the references are of no interest to me or my project but this one I've highlighted seems the most relevant to my work, its got me thinking about a possible scene for my film that I didn't have before.  

Spirited Away (2001) is a story of a young girl who gets trapped in a Bathhouse in the Spirit World. To get back she must go through all the perils of the work in a bathhouse in order to save her parents, whom were turned into pigs upon her arrival. At the sight of her parents as pigs, Chihiro believes she is dreaming, crying out to wake up, for all the bad things to disappear. At this, her body starts to disappear. Our first reference to folklore comes from this point in the film, as Haku, a male apprentice to the powerful owner of the bathhouse, gives Chihiro food from the spirit realm. This is believed to come from Japanese myth, the story of Izanagi and Izanami. Izanami, the mother of Japan died giving birth. Izanagi went to the land of the dead to retrieve her, only to find she had eaten food from that world. It was believed that eating food from a world would make it difficult to return, forcing the eater to stay. In Spirited Away this is evident after eating the spirit food, as she soon seems to forget who she is and what she is doing there. The name of the film; Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (Spirited Away) is also an example of where folklore makes an appearance. The word Kamikakushi literally means to be ‘hidden by kami’, where kami translates as deities. A folk belief was that when a person disappeared for a long time, they had been taken by the spirits into the spirit world. Often it was believed that when the person reappeared, they would be refreshed, finding their own identity. The reference to this in the film is the crossing over of the river by Chihiro and her parents. Once over the river, she cannot return, kept by the spirit world. At the start of the film, Chihiro was a whiney childlike character however after returning from the spirit world, she appears mature and ready for the new challenges of life. Within the title there is also a completely different kind of taking away. The German child’s story ‘Rapunzel’ involves the enchantress of the story taking giving the name Rapunzel to the baby, before taking the child away to the tower where she must remain. In Spirited Away, Chihiro has to sign a contract with Yubaba (the witch and owner of the bathhouse) so that she can work there. In signing the contract, Yubaba owns ¾ of her name, leaving her name as Sen. This way, Yubaba owns Chihiro, also leaving Chihiro with no memory of why she is there. It is believed that only once you get your real name back, can you retrieve your proper identity. In the instances of Spirited Away, both Chihiro and Haku rediscover their real names, and the spell on the contract is broken, leaving Chihiro able to remember her parents, and Haku to return free of Yubaba’s power.

This also references the scene in 'Pan's Labyrinth' where Ofelia eats the food on the banquet table and the monster awakes to capture her and prevent her from to returning home.   

Time Table FMP

Here is a rough draft of my timetable taken on my phone. The proper timetable will be presented neatly with all my written work for the project.

Colour Psychology

Here is a list of colours and their descriptions that I've found on the net, it makes for interesting reading. Already I have the idea that the male character could be wearing a purple coat or jacket, a colour that appears artificial. By removing it as he wanders through the woods I can show he is also becoming one with nature.

Black

Black is the color of authority and power. It is popular in fashion because it makes people appear thinner. It is also stylish and timeless. Black also implies submission. Priests wear black to signify submission to God. Some fashion experts say a woman wearing black implies submission to men. Black outfits can also be overpowering, or make the wearer seem aloof or evil. Villains, such as Dracula, often wear black.

White

Brides wear white to symbolize innocence and purity. White reflects light and is considered a summer color. White is popular in decorating and in fashion because it is light, neutral, and goes with everything. However, white shows dirt and is therefore more difficult to keep clean than other colors. Doctors and nurses wear white to imply sterility.

Red

The most emotionally intense color, red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. It is also the color of love. Red clothing gets noticed and makes the wearer appear heavier. Since it is an extreme color, red clothing might not help people in negotiations or confrontations. Red cars are popular targets for thieves. In decorating, red is usually used as an accent. Decorators say that red furniture should be perfect since it will attract attention.

The most romantic color, pink, is more tranquilizing. Sports teams sometimes paint the locker rooms used by opposing teams bright pink so their opponents will lose energy.

Blue

The color of the sky and the ocean, blue is one of the most popular colors. It causes the opposite reaction as red. Peaceful, tranquil blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals, so it is often used in bedrooms. Blue can also be cold and depressing. Fashion consultants recommend wearing blue to job interviews because it symbolizes loyalty. People are more productive in blue rooms. Studies show weightlifters are able to handle heavier weights in blue gyms.

Green

Currently the most popular decorating color, green symbolizes nature. It is the easiest color on the eye and can improve vision. It is a calming, refreshing color. People waiting to appear on TV sit in "green rooms" to relax. Hospitals often use green because it relaxes patients. Brides in the Middle Ages wore green to symbolize fertility. Dark green is masculine, conservative, and implies wealth. However, seamstresses often refuse to use green thread on the eve of a fashion show for fear it will bring bad luck.

Yellow

Cheerful sunny yellow is an attention getter. While it is considered an optimistic color, people lose their tempers more often in yellow rooms, and babies will cry more. It is the most difficult color for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused. Yellow enhances concentration, hence its use for legal pads. It also speeds metabolism.

Purple

The color of royalty, purple connotes luxury, wealth, and sophistication. It is also feminine and romantic. However, because it is rare in nature, purple can appear artificial.

Brown

Solid, reliable brown is the color of earth and is abundant in nature. Light brown implies genuineness while dark brown is similar to wood or leather. Brown can also be sad and wistful. Men are more apt to say brown is one of their favorite colors.

More Flowers

Here are some flowers that could prove useful for my idea.

   Acacia: Friendship 


   Chrysanthemum, White: Truth 


   Daisy: Purity, innocence.


   Gladiolus: Strength of character 


   Lilac, Purple: First emotion of life


   Lily of the Valley: Return of happiness


   Magnolia: Love of nature 

Flowers

I've been thinking about how to show the female character is one with nature and one of my ideas was to leave a flower or flowers planted on the ground as she fades in and out of sight. I don't think it would cost much to buy a few flowers before shooting begins then plant them where necessary (already fully grown of course).

We all know different flowers have different meanings so it might be hard to get hold specific flowers that I need so I'm going to have a look at what colour means as well and how it can be interpreted on film. Therefore I could get hold of any flowers but each colour represents a specific emotion, or creates a message.

'5 Centimetres per Second' Anime Influence.

Quite recently I've watched this fantastic film. Its only very short for a motion picture; just 60 minutes long. But, the animation and imagery is just breathtaking. Because I want to create a film with strong imagery '5 Centimetres' really inspired me, I'm not doing an animation but I believe I can translate that same beauty into live action.                                                                                         

Also throughout the entire film the lead character is narrating the story. At first we hear an exchange of letters between Takaki and Akari and then, latter in the film we hear from another characters perspective, a young girl called Kanae. What was so appealing to me was the fact that I want to add a narrator in my film very much like what can be seen in '5 Centimetres'. I love the colloquial speech; the innocence and harsh reality of the script really dug in deep. Its easy to dismiss younger characters in films but here their stories are all something most of us can relate to... If we allow ourselves to remember.

FMP Presentations.

Yesterday I presented my film project to both Jamie and Andy and thankfully the idea seems to have been well received. As I've already got a cast and film crew in place what seemed to interest them the most is how I'm going to tell the story.

Without having the right shots and without using the visual language film can create the viewers could, perhaps, get the wrong idea and not fully understand the themes being portrayed on screen. For example; the way we see the female character fade in and out of shots could be seen as a ghost or a vision that isn't really there, what I want to create is a sense that she is apart of nature and that's something that cannot be misunderstood.

My two strongest references for the film are 'cinema anime' and the video game 'Folklore', both have incredible imagery and art styles, styles I cannot replicate, but what I can do is really look at creating a series of shots that create a sense of wonder. Yes I'm filming in a wood, so what? What I want to do is highlight colour, especially the green which is the most overpowering colour spread right across each location I have in mind. But, what I also want to do is really look into the language of film, the unspoken dialogue that tells the viewer what is really going on and helps create emotion and intrigue. I'll be having a read of 'Cinematic Storytelling' throughout this project; I've also referenced the book a few times already.

Another important part of the film is costumes and props. For me, before the presentation these were the least of my worries and now they are still just that. But, I would be stupid not to take on board the importance of what the characters are wearing. I think I remember correctly; Andy said if the lead character is returning back to the woods, returning home his personal belongings would seem pointless, he no longer needs them and he would discard them.
I don't want removal of clothing but I like the idea of him tossing his bag to one side, throwing away his phone, why would he need them anyway, he does not fit into society because he is not human, he just behaves like a human would.

I think the way forward for me is to really nail the storyline, I've already mentioned that I want a voice over playing along with the film, narrating the thoughts and feelings of the lead character. In my opinion that aspect of the film needs to stay. So, the three things that need more work right now are; the storyline, the voice over script and the storyboards. If I can work though Easter on these and hopefully get some feedback throughout the holidays from both tutors I can start planning dates to actually film when I get back to college. The film will not move anywhere or change shape if I don't begin work on these three things.

'El Campamento' Film, 2010

This film is based on a short story I wrote during my time studying GCSE English and that story was based loosely on true story that happened to me and a friend. I filmed 'El Campamento' while on a visit back home to Spain, I originally planned to film in a different location but due to unforeseen circumstances I had to relocate and this ruined all my planning prior to the shoot. Looking at the final piece I feel it was a bit ambitious to film this without any shot lists or story boards but I have to be happy that the film was made; not only that it was my first film on the course so I felt it had to made and shown.

'The Room' Film, 2010

'The Room' is a remake of a film I made when I was quite young, at the time I couldn't really explore the idea fully but while on the course I've been able to create my true vision. However it was a nightmare to film, needless to say I learned a lot doing this video. Looking back it is quite rough but the learning process was most important. The film represents the strange nature of dreams. Here we see a writer being haunted by a character in his story, a story he cannot finish.

'Stranger' Film, 2011

This film represents one of my strongest fears; loosing my memories and the sense of who I am. I made this film as part of the Hope, Fear and Desire brief. Its technically the easiest of all the films I've made but its the idea behind the film that I hope comes through strongly.  

'Pathway' Film, 2011

This is my film 'Pathway'. The main idea behind the film is that no matter how hard we try to move forward in life in the end its all for nothing because we all end up in the same place. 'Pathway' represents the futility of the journey through life.

Test Shoot Day Review

Today I did a test shoot for my next film. Ryan, my camera operator and Milly, my actress both came along with me. We visited Billinge Woods and then Witton Park, trying out various shots and taking photos of possible locations.

I had a selection of shots I wanted to master, for the most part I got what I wanted but I don't think I'll be able to create a scene were we see Milly walk across water, the location was wrong and the angles weren't right, I just think the whole scene would look fake. I'll keep my eyes and ears open for another possible location but right now the scene is cut from my plans.

We also a had a slight problem with the focus pull. All I wanted was to have the character in the background come into focus but for some reason unknown to me the background and the foreground could not be separated, they both went in and out of focus at the same time. Even when we had Milly inches from the camera the result was the same. This is something I'll have to speak with Brian about, the pull focus shot is something I really need for my film, especially in the woods.

As it started raining we weren't able to continue with the any test shots and so I used my disposable camera to capture the area and possible filming angles.

Tomorrow in College I'll take a look at the footage and then hopefully I will be able to begin work on my story boards.

Sarah Photo Shoot

This is the second photo shoot I've done in the studio. Here we see the main focus is on Sarah's tattoo.

                

                

               

               

               

               

               

              

              

              

              

Casting Session

Just had a quick casting practice with Andy - Dan Johnson watched the practice with me.

I need a third actor to appear on screen just for a few second and have a brief conversation with the lead character. After a few takes Andy got the scrappy, abrupt personality right. However Dan mentioned Steve from photography as a possible candidate for the role, I agree. I'll have to ask him whenever I get the chance in the near future.

As I'm not planning large amounts of dialogue or speech I'm hoping that after my test shots the people I've got penned in to do the acting will be more than capable and I wont need to contact any drama students and such.

Space In Film

Having been reading through a few books and thinking about a few ideas myself it's become important for me to really get to grips with the potential of space in film. What can I do with each shot?

I've seen in my reading that the film frame is split into various axes; the X-Axis, the Y Axis, the Z Axis and a combination of the X and Y Axes. By using these lines film-makers can create various moods and impressions that the viewer will subconsciously respond to.



The X Axis, Horizontal - If the camera was to move left to right, the viewer will respond positivity because the direction the camera is moving mimics the direction we (westerners) read, it creates a comfortable setting. Apparently there is a good chance in nearly every film you see the 'good' guy will first make an appearance moving on screen from left to right. But if we flip that round, by moving the camera right to left we can create the opposite effect, making the scene more uncomfortable.

The Y Axis, Vertical - By moving the camera down it again creates an easy, calm setting because of our sense of gravity. Pulling the camera up will give the opposite effect. Also by moving the camera along a straight line at a steady pace creates the assumption all is well, detouring from the straight line will have negative connotations.

XY Axes, Diagonals - Descending Diagonals; Gravity aids the motion of descending diagonals. The descent seems easy, possibly inevitable. It also follows the direction of the reading eye. Ascending Diagonals; Gravity works against the ascending diagonals. It's easier to fall downwards than to move upwards. The right to left ascent is the most difficult of all screen directions because it not only goes against the reading eye but gravity as well.

Z Axis - This is the line that runs from the foreground to the backgroud, it enables us to see the illusion of depth. Depth of field has three planes; foreground, middleground and background.

Cinematic Storytelling

Here are a few quotes I've just seen in a book that I'm reading regarding Cinematic storytelling.

'When we tell a story in cinema, we should resort to dialogue only when it's impossible to do otherwise. I always try to tell a story in the cinematic way, through a succession of shots and bits of film in between.'

'Whenever possible, to rely more on the visual than the dialogue.'

- Alfred Hitchcock.

* There are two requirements of  great script: One is to have a great story, the other is to render the story cinematically.

* Movies start and end with story.

* The first part of a director's job is knowing what the audience should be feeling, and when. The second part is harnessing te tools to get them there.