Directions Unit: Director research- Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson is an American director known for 'quirky' films that are hugely stylised, he has specific trade marks that mean the audience know when they are watching a Wes Anderson movie. These include; shooting with extreme wide angle lenses, use of shots where characters are breaking the fourth wall, he will often go from one character/action to another and then pan back often with a handheld camera and like Tim Burton he has certain actors such as Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson who he will cast repeatedly.

In '94 Anderson and (Owen) Wilson's short "Bottle Rocket" was screened at the Sundance Film Festival, it was so well received that they got funding to make it a feature-length. Although it wasn't a commercial hit it gained a cult following.

Character stories

Characters within Anderson films are written to be going about their day to day lives before being brought into the narrative, this allows characters to be set up and established with out really being apart of the story. Examples of this are Becky from 'Moonrise kingdom'. Becky is first introduced to the audience eating a sandwich, she later offers food to the men around her (Scout Master Ward being the only one who accepts). This has set up Becky's relationship with food as well as the love connection between her and Scout Master Ward in the back ground of the main story/scenes. Even though all of these details are written in the screenplay for his films they are something that are iconic to Wes Anderson movies, both live action and animation.

This allows for the universes in Wes Anderson movies to appear as an actual reality, the movie gives the sense it will continue when it ends.

Camera

The way Anderson decides to use the camera in his films is distinct and unique. You know a Wes Anderson film when you see it partly because of character placement or camera movement.

Wide shot

 Anderson commonly uses wide shots in his movies in which the lead character is primarily in centre shot. This can help denote the solitary nature of the characters within their narrative (as Anderson stories generally have a theme of broken homes that resolve in the end). 

Panning/tracking

Another move that Anderson does with the camera a lot is panning/tracking of characters through scenes as a way of establishing setting as well as creating movement within the shot.

 It helps to keep the pace of the story as well as directing the audience's eye to certain points.

Link to all of Wes Anderson's pan shots

This is something I'd like to use in my film particularly as it can be erratic and allow for lots of movement and energy within it, mirroring the erratic energy from the Mad Hatter and other characters.

Symmetry

Anderson's use of symmetry is contrary to what directors conventionally do, they generally aim to have a scene as natural as possible so that the audience can be immersed in the movie, this means no symmetry. 
Wes Anderson however wants to remind the audience they are watching a film, he stages his scenes so they are perfectly symmetrical and are done as though in a theatre.

Not only this it is also visually appealing for the audience, as well as meaning it's easier to have match on action cuts within the movies. 
He repeats this in all his films including animations such as 'Fantastic Mr.Fox', making it an iconic trademark of Wes Anderson.

This is something I'd like to try and use in my film, as I feel it would not only look good but will allow for a setting to be modest and simple yet effective.

Colour

Colour in Anderson movies is something that is particular to each film, each one having complimentary colours making it visually appealing.

This is something I'd like to try and keep in mind for my film the limited colour schemes help in my attempt to keep it away from Burton's vibrant adaption of 'Alice in Wonderland'.

Directions unit: Character development/mood boards

Character mood boards

For my adaption of 'Alice in Wonderland' I wanted to contrast Tim Burton's (T.B) bright and colourful Underland with a darker potentially more industrial steam punk aesthetic. 

I've also chosen to go in this direction as the steam punk look is commonly associated with Victorians connoting the 4 characters specifically the Mad Hatter is stuck in a different time.

Mad Hatter (Tarrent)
For the Mad Hatter (Tarrent) I'm going to focus more on the iconic top hat pocket watch. As the T.B Tarrent was as a Hatter by trade he has pins and fabric attached to his hat. 

Because of the steam punk choice I've substituted pins and thread for goggles, these are common trade marks of the look and help establish that Tarrent thinks he is in a different time.

March Hare
For the March-Hare I decided to make them ex-military, they'll therefore have a military jacket and the character them self although eccentric will have a sense of discipline from the army about them such as sitting up straight etc. The character would ideally have grey facial hair giving them the unkept look of a mad old man.

Mally
For Mally's character I wanted to try and show her personality through her clothes. In the T.B adaption Mally is an adventurous and feisty girl, she is one of the boys. 

I wanted to try show this through her costume having her in trousers, lots of pockets and practical clothes. Because the Mad Hatter is Mally's best friend I decided to have her in goggles too however feminise them slightly by having them as sunglasses instead of goggles, this also denotes her adventurous spirit. 

Chesire
For Chesire cat I wanted a scruffy appearance. The character is in their dressing gown as they really bother to get dressed for anything, they don't shave often and they're detached from the world. They'll speak slowly and thoughtfully and wear sombre colour palettes such as greys and blues.

Alice
For Alice I decided to not have her in what is perceived typical steampunk clothes, detaching her from the Mad Hatter and his friends. Alice's character will be in primarily black and white aside from a blue cardigan, this being because of the blue dress that the original Alice iconically wears. She'll have the fingerless gloves that T.B's Alice wears however they'll be black to fit with the darker aesthetic. 

Directions unit lecture with Simon: Editing

Editing

Spielberg's "Duel"

Progressive speed in editing, things getting tighter= speedometer becomes more focused in on

Uses the sound of the cars, until last sequence music comes in

• Editing
• Continuity editing
• Montage theory
• Continuity- story
• Continuity- drama
• POV
• Match-on-action
• Cross cut

Editing= art of joining separate shots together to create longer sequences that make up the complete story of the film/show

It is the only process that is unique to filmmaking…referred to as the invisible art= when done well it can be so immersive the viewer doesn't notice it

Telling audience how you want them to view your material

Not just about joining shots, about creating emotion, drama, rhythm and action through a combination of shots…STORY TELLING

1st film to use editing as a story telling device= "Great Train Robbery". Language of editing has developed and refined over the years, essentially it still holds true to The Great Train Robbery.  What has changed is the tech.

Up until early '00s all films were edited together using a steenbeck, splicing the film together with cellotape.

Though there are exceptions, if you look at films from before the 1990's, there is always a lot less cutting in them.

Physical diff had an impact on storytelling, films were slower in pace.

Linear video editing

Most basic kind of editing, only allowing you to place one shot after another in order. Cannot move shots about and start again without restarting. It developed further where you could have a bank of machines with source material, allowing faster access shots and allowing for mixes and dissolves. Development sat alongside MTV and the ever increasing demand for fast cuts, it found its way into film and tv.

Dig non-linear

Advent of dig tech brought true non-linear editing, combined freedom of film editing and speed of video editing. Can move shots where you wanted, keeping in sync and making a cut in a fraction of the time before.

Premier to avid=good

Continuity editing

Predominant form of editing style in narrative is ref as continuity editing.

Alternatives

French New Wave, often jump cutting

Continuity editing- story

First layer of con editing is creating the continuous story. This doesn't mean you have to include all the bits of the story just the right ones.

Cutting out material you have shot is the hardest thing to do. However it's crucial for good story telling to only leave the elements that propel your story that add to it. Simple rule of less is more applies all the way through the editing process.

Continuity editing: drama

Most creative layer of editing is creating the drama of a scene through pacing, rhythm and emotion. The main thrust of pace is created through how quick or slow you cut from one shot to the nest. Doesn't just mean fast cutting, getting pacing right is key to creating a good feel. Too quick pace= audience left behind, too slow paced= audience looses interest

Pacing, rhythm, emotion

Two people talking- obvious choice is to cut away to person back and forth. What if you hold the listener, suddenly you change the pacing and the emotion.

Pacing

Ordinarily, a scene starts wide and slow, and then gets closer and quicker. A slow stilted conversation becomes more free and flowing and ends abruptly. What if you start with a BANG and end slowly? This can still work if pacing is right. Always cut for a reason, never to just cut. It must ADD to the scene.

SOPRANOS

Emotions

Creating real drama in a scene is a cornerstone of great editing and the hardest to pull off.  General rule: emotional= long shots, action= cut quick, scene of tension is created by moments holding shots and then cutting quickly timing is key.

ATONMENT

POV

Where you position your characters in a scene is crucial in editing, someone could be doing all the talking but if you focus on someone else in the scene who isn't talking, where does the power shift to?

SHANE

Match-on-action

Match-on-action is a very useful creative tool in editing allowing for dramatic and artful shifts in time and spatial narrative. Essentially the idea is to match one action, with a similar action in the next shot.

SPACE ODDESSY DAWN OF MAN

Cross-cutting

Cross cutting is an editing tool that can create great suspenseful action pieces. Essentially it's the cutting between two or more scenes that are occurring at the same time in the story. This allows the editor to open the story out onto many levels-unique to cinema. Can create moments of sadness and irony etc.

GODFATHER 1972

Montage

Different to Russian theory, a montage is a collection of shots often to cut to music. Time moves on.

Fade/dissolve

Fade is one of the oldest tools in creative editing, originally used at the end of each act (like a curtain coming down).

Dissolve is the merging of two shots usually to show time passing, done well can be very effective.

Editing stages

Log: log and arrange your rushes, so you know where they are and what shot they are.

Assembly cut: all the scenes(just one shot each), assembled in the right order. Usually 4 times longer than the finished film.

Rough cut: Cut into the assembly, adding in shots to the scenes, cutting and removing often 2 times longer the final

Fine cut: Cutting into scenes and creating drama

Final cut: all done

Directions unit: Shot practice

For a few of my shots I have decide to test them out prior to filming to see how they would look and if I think they will work for my shoot.

"Alice falls down the Rabbit hole"

For this shot Alice's character will literally fall however instead of falling down the rabbit hole she will trip in a cluttered hallway and leave the frame, the camera will then pick up with Alice lying on the floor.

"Hatter grabs Alice"

In this scene the Mad Hatter has walked down the table the camera picks him up at the end with him leaning over and offering a hand to Alice.

"Mad Hatter looks at Alice"

The last shot was an experiment to see what an over shoulder shot would look like, the initial idea was to pull focus from the Mad Hatter to Alice.

Contextual studies lecture Louis: Metaphor and Meaning

Jessica Jones

(Metaphor and Meaning)

Jessica Jones (Netflix 13 part drama)

Based on Marvel comic book character

Although grounded in realism, TV series acknowledges in-world superpowers, Marvel universe and comic book roots

Created and produced by largely female team (executive pro/writer Melissa Rosenberg, British director S.J Clarkson)

93% rating on rotten tomatoes

Dominant narrative theme is power and control

Dominant narrative metaphors illuminate theme of power and control

Some themes;

Rape and PTSD

Child abuse

Addiction: drugs and alcohol

Superpowers: externalise character's interior trauma and struggle

 

Objectives:

What is a metaphor?

How metaphor can be used in tv and film

Why metaphor is useful for filmmakers

What is a metaphor?

Traditionally in lit a figure of speech in which a word or phrase makes an implicit, implied or hidden comparison between two things that appear unrelated but share some common characteristics.

Eg. Shakespeare- "All the world's a stage…"

What is the point in a metaphor?

To get the audience to think in different ways. A creative means to stimulate the audience by getting them to think in new ways

Tends to be used in film and cinema over TV

Metaphor or Allegory?

Allegory- an extended or a complex metaphor, or connected series of metaphors. Similar to parables

An allegory usually has two meanings: literal and symbolic (or metaphorical) Alien is regarded as a feminist/Freudian allegory, using visual sexual metaphors

Allusion- an indirect or passing reference, usually with no metaphorical intent. Often used as a homage or nod to a related show or film, or writer/directors' inspirations.

Analogy- literal comparison without further meaning (a metaphor uses analogy with greater meaning) Forest Gump's 'Life is like a box of chocolates'

Metaphor in TV and film

While writers may use verbal or literary metaphors, most metaphors in film and TV will be visual

Metaphors generally need to be constructed of familiar visual symbols and references, and cannot be overly complex

Like a verbal metaphor, they will break down if there are too many analogies to process at once. But there needs to be enough detail that the metaphor is recognisable and easily understood.

Abuse as a metaphor

Kilgrave's sexual abuse/control of Jessica is both explicit and literal in original comic

TV series uses Kilgrave's mind control and Jessica's PTSD as broader metaphors for abusive relationships

"We didn't want to tackle it as an 'issue'. Nobody wants to be preached to and I have no interest in doing any preaching, so it was really just informing her character why she makes the choices she makes."

TV series also expands abuse metaphor further than a source material

Jessica's friend Trish (former child TV star) is a victim of childhood abuse (physical and drugs) by showbiz mother

Kilgrave's new backstory reveals him to be a victim of abusive childhood medical experiments

Both characters become 'control freaks' in adulthood

Addiction/substance abuse becomes a metaphor for both control and loss of control

Jessica's alcohol abuse as a coping mechanism

Former soldier Simpson abuses 'red pills' that give him superpowers

Jessica's addict friend is made to stalk her by Kilgrave in return for drugs

Surveillance as a metaphor

Stalking and surveillance (voyeurism) are also used as metaphors for abuse and control

Jessica's surveillance work is an expression of her need to control

Kilgrave stalks Jessica by surveillance and, when discovered, forces her to self-surveil by sending selfies

The series uses recurring images and examples of surveillance

Superpowers as metaphors

Superpowers are not just about physical manifestations of control, but metaphor for the other

Mrs Eastman's attempt to kill Jessica is motivated by revenge and fear of the gifted/the other

Marvel's X-men have been interpreted as a metaphor/allegory for civil rights struggles and LGBT issues

Visual metaphor in Jessica Jones

The cockroach scenes that bookend ep 2 are examples of vis metaphors

At the beginning of ep, Jessica looks at a cockroach while thinking about Kilgrave's capacity for survival

By the end of the ep Jessica has reconciled to confront Kilgrave and symbolically crushes the cockroach in the sink

Static vs dynamic metaphor

The cockroach scenes are examples of static metaphor

A static metaphor is a metaphor whose meaning is obvious and constant, usually   reflects on characteristic and on character

Dynamic metaphor is one that provides new information as the narrative continues. It is often shared with one characters and/or found in new situations or locations.

The use of addiction (alcohol/drugs/medication) is an example of dynamic metaphor in Jessica Jones

Why film makes might use metaphors

Aesthetic/artistic- to provide another level of meaning beyond the literal or superficial

Freudian/psychological- to provide an alternative means of interpretation beyond the conscious

Political- to allow filmmakers to tackle a difficult or controversial subject within an allegorical framework

Directions unit: directors presentation

Tim Burton

Tim Burton was born in Burbank California (home to film studios such as Disney), growing up he felt different and isolated and while watching monster movies by Ray Harryhausen Burton's interest in stop montion animation developed. During his time at school Burton's style of drawing did not suit the way he was being taught to draw and resolve to do art how he wanted to, this later developed his distinctive style. 

From high school Burton moved onto Cal Arts where he stayed for 2 years doing a animation course for Disney, this later led to him working at Disney by the time he was 20. It was at Disney where he again found he couldn't get his art to fit the "Disney style" (although he did work on 'Fox and the Hound' as an animator at age 23), because of this he was able to be given his own projects and draw for projects such as 'Vincent' and 'Frankenweenie'.

Main Directing credits

'Beetle Juice' 1988

'Batman' 1989

'Edward Scissor Hands' 1990

'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' 2005

'Corpse Bride' 2005

'Sweeny Todd' 2007

'Alice in Wonderland' 2010

'Frankenweenie' 2012

Tim Burton main directing style

Although Tim Burton takes on a range of movie genres such as; fantasy, adventure, horror, comedy and romance among a few his movies are all identifiable as 'Burtonesque' (a word used to describe characters, actions or a general atmosphere in a film which bare resemblances to the style in which Tim Burton films). 

One of his most distinct and common features in his live action films is the deliberate casting choices of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, Burton prefers to work with people he has before hand and this way actors are likely to know what is expected of them when portraying a Tim Burton character. The 2 have been in at least 7 of Burton's films and the pairing works well within his films. 

As well as this using repeated actors means that you can be guaranteed to know their work ethic and how they will work with each other.

Burton likes to understand his characters in a way that allows him to impart emotional clarity to them, if he doesn't then it's harder for someone else to understand. Having actors that have worked with him before will help make this process easier and could speed up the actor's ability to pick up a roll.

Another thing that is key in Burton's directing style and something that could be considered 'Burtonesque' is the way he exaggerates the anatomy of his characters.

Due to his artistic style Burton's original drawings of characters from 'Underland' had big eyes and heads which they later edited in post. These changes to the actor's performances allowed their characters to blend better with the CGI world they were being filmed in.

Editing characters in Underland

Scenes I want to direct and why

 Alice falls down the rabbit hole

 Alice and the Mad Hatter are reunited 

 Alice and the Mad Hatter say good bye

I decided to direct these scenes as I felt that they're the three key points in Alice's journey through Underland. 
The scenes follow the development of Alice's character, when she falls through the rabbit hole she is close minded and by the time she leaves the Hatter and Underland she has regained her "muchness" and become a more confident person. Even though they could be considered to have a lot of dialogue they also offer a lot visually to prevent it from being a boring conversation between the two leading characters.

Contextual studies lecture Louis: post modern TV

Postmodern TV

Twin Peaks: David Lynch     Crime-Soap opera hybrid

Objectives:

Define experimental and conventional

Are there different types of experimental in different genres of TV?

What modes of critical analysis can we use to define 'experimental'?

Twin peaks had two seasons from 1990 to 1991, created by film director David Lynch and TV crime genre writer Mark Frost for the ABC network(with access to an audience of 15 million at least). Twin Peaks was a unusual show for the network and is regarded by critics as one of the most innovative and influential mainstream network programmes for the modern TV era. 

How can we define experimental?

If something challenges and/or subverts genre codes/conventions

If there are innovations in stylistic presentation (mise en scene, editing, etc)

If there are innovation in narrative (eg how the story is told: structure and time)

Conventional narrative formats

Episodic series usually long-running (13 episodes or more), primetime, self contained storylines and closed resolutions within each show.

Continuous serial/soap opera- traditionally daytime, open-ended storylines with cliffhangers

Episodic serial (miniseries)- short run drama (more than six hours in two or more parts) which combine the closed resolution of the episodic series with the ongoing multi-arc strands of the soap opera

Sequential series- development of the episodic series format which run narrative arcs through out the series and end seasons with cliffhangers

Twin Peaks narrative format

First season was similar to a episodic serial or miniseries, it had a episodically threaded narrative and cliffhanger finale of the sequential series (co-creator Mark Frost worked on pioneering police drama series, Hill Street Blues)

Open-ended multi-character/multi-plotlines of the continuous serial or soap opera (lynch said of twin peaks in a '14 interview: "it is a soap drama")

Genre Hybridity

Crime genre- episodic, forensic rationality, central detective character, crime resolution and narrative closure

Soap genre- continuing, emotional melodrama, multiple character arcs, crime may take weeks/months or years to be resolved

Supernatural/horror genre- demonic possession, native American folklore

Postmodernism

Ideologically disruptive

Deconstructs form, often in playful way

May use elements of high and low culture (usually through homage or pastiche)

Meta-references of self reflexivity (intertextuality), such as films like 'Cabin in the Woods'

Mise en scene

Pacific north-west small town setting (rather than conventional crime genre urban city locations)

Costumes, makeup and set design evoke 1950's (though series set in contemporary timeframe)

Unconventional lighting and staging (flickering neon in autopsy room, objects framed in long close ups for dramatic effect)

Camera work and editing

Scenes filmed in wide and/or long shots (rather than conventional close-ups and shot reverse shots of most television drama)

Action held longer in the frame than usual- either for comic effect (dialogue scenes in police station) or exaggerated emotional resonance (crying scenes)

Sound and music

Heavy use of both original soundtrack music and surreal ambient sounds (Lynch's signature hum)

Music is used for heightened emotional effect (rather than just background underscore or action cues as in most TV dramas)

Used of diegetic and non-diegetic leitmotifs associated with spec characters

Acting and character

Twin peaks features many conventional dramatic archetypes: the analytical crime investigator, upright sheriff and corrupt business man

Characters are written and acted in a highly stylised or quirky manner that defy genre convention and challenged audience's preconceptions