Brief research
For brief three we have to recreate a scene from the Shawshank Redemption “Rehabilitated Prisoner” montage scene. It is three scenes from the start the middle and the end of the film all condensed in to a three-minute clip. The scenes are all the same but each scene is different in their own way. Though my research I will talk about how we achieved this process.
In 1946, a banker named Andy Dufresne is convicted of a double murder, even though he stubbornly proclaims his innocence. He's sentenced to a life term at the Shawshank State Prison in Maine, where another lifer, Ellis Red Redding, picks him as the new recruit most likely to crack under the pressure. The ugly realities of prison life are quickly introduced to Andy: a corrupt warden, sadistic guards led by Capt. Byron Hadley, and inmates who are little better than animals, willing to use rape or beatings to insure their dominance. But Andy does not crack: he has the hope of the truly innocent, which allow him to prevail behind bars. He uses his banking skills to win favor with the warden and the guards, doing the books for Norton's illegal business schemes and keeping an eye on the investments of most of the prison staff. In exchange, he is able to improve the prison library and bring some dignity and respect back to many of the inmates, including Red.
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The key genre conventions of your scene
The Shawshank Redemption is a mix of genres thriller and drama. The basic story of a thriller usually consists between the protagonist character (Andy) and the antagonist, when there is a disruption in the equilibrium. Then usually the story has a chain of bad events building tension and suspense for the climax of the film. The aim of the protagonist is to restore justice, while the antagonist seeks to destroy it.
The key conventions of a thriller consists of:
The characters:
The themes of a thriller, the storyline will be designed so the audience will think that it can happen to them, which will make them fell scared and relate to the character creating a connection between the audience.
The cinematography there is a lot of close ups and extreme close ups of the protagonist character, this is often to show their emotions; also it can be used to focus on props to aid the narrative.
The key conventions of a thriller consists of:
- Tension music
- Quick cuts
- Low key lighting
- Montage of shots changes in the angles of shots
- Protagonist is in the mercy of the antagonist
- The location
- Composition
- Acting
The characters:
- The protagonist is often a brave male who seeks to restore the equilibrium
- The antagonist will have a hidden identity that the audience will uncover as the film progresses. Often the antagonist goes out for revenge from the past event.
The themes of a thriller, the storyline will be designed so the audience will think that it can happen to them, which will make them fell scared and relate to the character creating a connection between the audience.
The cinematography there is a lot of close ups and extreme close ups of the protagonist character, this is often to show their emotions; also it can be used to focus on props to aid the narrative.
Conduct a detailed textual analysis of your scene
In this vlog i cover my textual analysis focusing of the main aspects that stand out to me.
below are my note. |
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Camera, editing and sound
Lighting and colours
The colour blue
The colours yellow and gold
Location and props
Acting and actors
- The camera movement in to the actor is from a mid shot in to a medium shot is trying to create an emotive response from the audience, it has more of an impact as we can see his reaction better and it helps build tension for the cut away
- The editing, the editor holds the frames adding more suspense and tension
- The sound, big loud prison door to invoke fear. There is silence thought out creating presence of the situation and tension, The stamp get louder though out the scene making it more intense.
Lighting and colours
- Lighting, shows a passage of time, the way it is draped over the character makes it look like there are prison bars over his face.
- Colours, start of with blue, the colour blue is linked to loyalty, trust, confidence, security, order, cold and depression the colours change to a yellow and gold the colours are linked to relaxation, idealism, hope, wisdom, prosperity lets break these down.
The colour blue
- Security – the prison is a secure compound, also from the outside world creating that the character is disconnected from society.
- Order – the guard is a sign of order and the panel is as well as the are organise, they way are dressed as well is a sign
- Depression – being in jail
The colours yellow and gold
- Relaxation – he body language becomes from relaxed for though out the scene
- Idealism – the way he describe how Rehabilitation is a made up word by a politician for some one who is “ideally” now ready to enter back in to society. ‘it just a bull shit word”
- Wisdom – he’s speech about how a day goes by he doesn’t feel regret, looking back at the way he was when he was younger and thanks to he’s experiences
Location and props
- The props change to show to show a passage of time
- Location the blinds look like prison bars reminding him and the audience of where he is and also the bright light its self is a symbol of freedom and hope.
Acting and actors
- The acting, the becomes for loose and doesn’t care anymore, he doesn’t face the man anymore at the end
- The panel actor’s change to show passage of time and including show how society has changed and women are becoming more equal to men.
Reflection
http://filmdirectingtips.com/archives/157
Research a wide range of production techniques you expect to use
We are going to have to try and copy/recreate the same production techniques they used to create this scene, I am going to break this down in to sub categories of techniques dialogue, lighting, colour, camera, action, costumes and props.
The visual production techniques we will have to study the scene there are some visual texts we need to analysis to recreate the scene:
For the dialogue we have to write a word for word script as this is the most important aspect of this scene and it has the most impact for the character development though out this scene. Thanks to the internet we were able to find copy of the script already formatted for us, so all we had to do was print it off.
The lighting we will have to try and design the lighting to show the locations advantages. Make sure the actors are light correctly to reinforce and reveal characters. Make sure that the colours of the lights are correct for the mood and match tone.
For the camera work we will have to learn how to use a camera dolly to create smooth horizontal camera movements, for the mid shot to medium shot. We have to make sure all of the angles are correct and match up with the scenes another is the correct lens for the close ups I would suggest a 50mm prime lens and a wide lens for the panel shots a 18mm lens would be correct lens to use.
The edit, the first edit will be the assembly edit where all of the best takes will be put together in script order to start to help build the story. According to Walter Murch he wrote a book “in the blink of an eye “ about a series of rules that he worked out too make the best film though editing there are six rules to follow
The visual production techniques we will have to study the scene there are some visual texts we need to analysis to recreate the scene:
- Framing - framing the subject correctly
- Body language – facial expressions, gestures, stance or positions
- Composition – what is included is deliberately placed like the surroundings, objects, clothing etc
- Orientation, point of view – relates to framing and angles
- Symbolism – the use of an image to represent one or more ideas
For the dialogue we have to write a word for word script as this is the most important aspect of this scene and it has the most impact for the character development though out this scene. Thanks to the internet we were able to find copy of the script already formatted for us, so all we had to do was print it off.
The lighting we will have to try and design the lighting to show the locations advantages. Make sure the actors are light correctly to reinforce and reveal characters. Make sure that the colours of the lights are correct for the mood and match tone.
For the camera work we will have to learn how to use a camera dolly to create smooth horizontal camera movements, for the mid shot to medium shot. We have to make sure all of the angles are correct and match up with the scenes another is the correct lens for the close ups I would suggest a 50mm prime lens and a wide lens for the panel shots a 18mm lens would be correct lens to use.
The edit, the first edit will be the assembly edit where all of the best takes will be put together in script order to start to help build the story. According to Walter Murch he wrote a book “in the blink of an eye “ about a series of rules that he worked out too make the best film though editing there are six rules to follow
- Emotion
- Story
- Rhythm
- Eye-trace
- Two-dimensional plane of screen
- Three- dimensional space of action
http://www.studyit.org.nz/subjects/english/english3/2/subjectcontent/productiontechniques.html
http://www.mediastudentsbook.com/content/production-techniques
https://www.matrix.edu.au/techniques-for-analysing-a-visual-text/
http://www.mediastudentsbook.com/content/production-techniques
https://www.matrix.edu.au/techniques-for-analysing-a-visual-text/
Production
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Evaluation
We didn’t manage to finish project or have any production blog work, we had many problems while filming and disagreements with in our group. As a group we didn’t plan enough individually, a lot more could have been done to make the filming easier for us. I think we didn’t do enough location scouting it was a good location for a good amount of the scenes but we had a disagreement, we could have scouted a lot more locations in the Carlisle area to film. During the film we were to relaxed on set and I think we weren’t taking it seriously enough, some of the crew were relying on other people to do job for them or do more than their role. We tried to resolve the problems and disagreements between the crew “video” we did and we tried to film it again but we still didn’t end up on finishing the film as everyone lost there interest in this project.
Personal we need better communication with each other, people we need to stop relying on other people to step in people. People had disagreements and arguments on set they didn’t act in a professional manner or mature way. We ended with no project and I have really struggled with the research for this brief as we really did non-thanks to this it has reflected on my blog.
Personal we need better communication with each other, people we need to stop relying on other people to step in people. People had disagreements and arguments on set they didn’t act in a professional manner or mature way. We ended with no project and I have really struggled with the research for this brief as we really did non-thanks to this it has reflected on my blog.