A Look Into Film Theory

The idea behind my FMP is the portrayal of Baz Luhrmann's films and how they all have similar themes within them. I am attempting to take some of these elements put them into my own work. It is also important that I understand how other directors present their work in film and their individual theories behind it that can also be connected to each other in other ways.

Looking into the book 'Film Theory: An Introduction Through The Senses' it explains how different elements in certain films have a strong effect and meaning throughout the scenes. After reading the ideas behind the film, 'Persona' it was informative to understand the further meaning of how one element, the face, is portrayed and involves a very important meaning of the film and how it was referenced variously throughout the film. To me, the use of symbolism truly draws me into a film as I think it is interesting when films/art/books have hidden meanings within them. These ideas make the film more intricate and meaningful.

This idea relates back to my FMP as I am trying to reinterpret how Baz Luhrmann uses a variety of continuous themes throughout his films and the way he uses symbolism. I am testing this whole aspect by taking his themes of colour and portraying it through projecting it onto someone else. This similar to how the film 'Persona' uses projections in the first scene. There is a hidden meaning behind it. Why is it there? We can only understand why if we dig deeper within the symbolism.

Shoot 5: Romeo and Juliet Design 4

This shoot involved creating and filming Romeo and Juliet Design 4, a wet look that represents the water symbolism in the film. I was really pleased with the outcome of the look as I made my model's skin very dewy with her hair styled in a wet state. During the filming I was able to produce a variety of footage that would be useful towards the editting of the final cut. I began to realise how important it is to be able capture the details within the looks I create. This specific design is important as the core of it is within the water effects on the skin and hair which can be difficult to see the point of this in the filming process. This character is also crying at the scenes she is watching therefore this needs to be captured clearly in the film. I have filmed her actions close up so that we can see the tears and details of her skin and hair.

While filming I also started to notice how I preferred the zoomed in versions of this character rather than further away. Her face somehow looked elongated in the shots I filmed further away from her which I don't think comes across appealing. This could have been to do with how I styled her hair or the image projections against her face. When zoomed in her face drew me in so much more. 

Throughout filming each look I am continuously learning more about how to shoot each look at the right angles and how I can make my film as interesting as possible. Overall I feel that each shoot is helping me develop my skills in film and production.

Shoot 4: Moulin Rouge Design 5

This shoot involved creating the Moulin Rouge Design 5 and filming her reactions to the romantic scenes of this film. When creating the look I needed to apply gems to my model's face and with the final outcome I came to realise how controlled this looked and had not been applied in a free-flowing way. I thought I'd wait and see how this part of the design looked on camera and it looked fine but could be ore exaggerated to refer back to the overtop directing of Luhrmann's films.

During the filming, I noticed that my model's acting came off very stiff and not natural looking. I tried to fix this problem immediately by getting her to relax and change the way she played out the actions I directed. At the time I thought I had resolved this issue with the shoot but after looking through the clips we had made together, I realised there was not enough material to use for the final film cut as my model was too stiff in the majority of these video clips.

In this scene the character is drinking using a cup with straw prop and what I wanted to capture far away and up close is the character drinking from the cup. The problem that has occurred with this idea is that when she lift the drink to her mouth there is a shadow going over her mouth. This shadow blocks what I am trying to show in the film. I need to attempt to think of how I can show this part of the film without it being blocked by shadows as I think it is a relevant part of the naturalness I am including in this film.

I will need to reshoot this scene using a different model that can play this part in a more natural style.

Petra Collins: 24 Hour Psycho

Petra Collins' exhibition, '24 Hour Psycho', revolves around the topic of women and 'the constant battle within oneself, having to balance oppositional ideals of virgin, whore, mother.' I feel that there is a vast amount of emotion within these images and that these women are trying to reach out to the audience and feel their pain. The colour and shadows also help set this tone of the exhibition. I can understand how Collins wants there images to be perceived and for my project I want a similar feel. I want my audience to become enticed with the characters in my film. Although their feelings towards the moments they see in the films they are watching are only temporary, they are still meaningful becuase these films have afftected them in someway even if it is something that does not last long. I that it is important that the viewer finds meaning and understanding within art and I want them to understand how a film can capture someones feelings so perfectly making them react in a certain way towards it. To achieve this from waht I see in these images, I need to think about how the images I use can reflect these feelings and make sure my models act as natural as possible to get the somewhat realistic reactions I want for my film.

Petra Collins: 24 Hour Psycho exhibiton article and images: http://www.anothermag.com/art-photography/8531/petra-collins-on-collective-crying-and-celebrity-culture

Shoot 3: Strictly Ballroom Design 2

Shoot 3 involved creating and filming my Strictly Ballroom Design 2 look - an eccentrically made up ballroom dancer. I had to apply gems to this design but could feel myself being very controlling within this resulting in the gems being placed very pattern like. I am going to be applying gems for the Moulin Rouge designs and will try to be more free and less controlling otherwise I will et the same results as this. I don't think it looks terrible as it still works with this Ballroom Look I am trying to convey, I just think as a makeup artist I need to learn how to let go and not be so controlling when applying texture to a design in the future.

During the shoot I discovered some new ways of filming rather than just using the tripod and went on to doing handheld shots as well. I felt this gave a raw feel to the film and kind of intimate in a way. After looking over the shots though I realised that if I wanted to use this technique to be part of the film I must make sure it matches the mood when editing and try my best not to be shaky when holding the camera. I definitely want to continue with using this technique for each scene in my film so that it brings some kind of continuous effect throughout.

What went successful in this shoot is the acting skills that were performed as I needed my actress to really laugh hard for these shots. I also think that as I complete one shoot after another I am improving my filming skills by discovering new and better ways to make this film look more interesting. I am trying to experiment with the camera and projector that in hope can draw my future audience in and want to watch this film the whole way through.

What I am a bit concerned about is whether I got the styling of this character correct and if this needs to be addressed. To help myself confirm if a reshoot may need to take place I am going to get opinions from the other people. I don't want to reshoot as I am so happy with the outcome of this of everything else other than the styling but if it is a major issue I will put this forward and change it.

Shoot 2: The Great Gatsby Design 7

This shoot involved filming The Great Gatsby Design 7 - a 1920's party girl. When preparing for this shoot it was a chance to test my skills in hair and create waves which I haven't done for a hairstyle before. I had practiced before hand but still struggled to get the waves right on one side of the head. I asked my tutor for some guidance in order to create successful hair waves. She was really helpful and the result of the style came out really nicely. When designing the makeup, I wanted the outcome to have a heavy metallic eye and small doll like lips to match the typical 20's girl. I think this was one of the first times I was really excited with the outcome as I successfully created without any issues and it made me feel really confident within myself. After I had styled my model the overall look made me so happy as I felt I had matched the makeup, hair and styling together really well.
During filming I felt that this shoot was about getting the right image to project onto the character as some were too dark against the model. This has made me aware that the lighting from the projector will differ throughout each shoot I do, but the images that I project need to still balance out a clear portrayal of the character that is on screen. After looking back over this shoot I do think I should have adjusted the camera at higher point as I think it is slightly to low. I don't think this is terrible though and that it can be worked around as other than this issue, the shots we did came out quite well.
When directing my model, the process was very easy going and I felt that I was getting better with my direction skills and understanding what I needed this character to portray.

Shoot 1: Romeo and Juliet Design 3

This was the first official shoot for my film which I was quite nervous going into because as my previous test shoots always had an issue, I didn't want my first shoot to have any major problems either. Creating this shoot did leave me with a few things to think about.
Throughout the process of this shoot I was happy with the makeup and hair to begin with but as the film production started I already saw an issue with the makeup and had to change the lip colour. The results of this looked much better as I felt the original white/glitter lip looked abnormal and somehow out of place on camera. During this shoot I kept feeling like I was being too indecisive about how I wanted the shoot to look as I changed the background several times and how I wanted the image projected against my model's face. After re-evaluating how the shoot went though, I have come to realise that  was only being experimental because I didn't go into the shoot knowing exactly what I wanted. I don't think there was anything wrong with this but I just hope that as I do each shoot, one by one I will be more understanding of exactly how I want each scene to be filmed. Being experimental as a positive will help me develop skills and recognise various techniques in cinematography. Although small steps, the experimentation I did while filming involved zooming in for close ups as well as focusing with the camera. By doing this, I thought it would add more creativity in this character's part of the film as I had only given her 2-3 actions to do. While filming my model I did feel that I managed to capture some beautiful moments in just a couple seconds of some of these clips. This is because I my model came of very natural while filming and the directing was very easy with her.
I think for the next shoot I should continue to be experimental as this could result in more techniques that can help make my film look better.

Filming with the Projector

For this test shoot, I repeated using the projector but this time I filmed the shoot. I also produced more images from each Baz Luhrmann film and included actions for my model to do during each shot. 

In each shot it I was able to see what actions and images would work and what didn't. I was pleased to find that many of the actions I had asked my model to act out worked really well as they came off very natural and intriguing to watch. What didn't work were the opposite of engaging and now I know not to use them and maybe try and find another action to substitute for it. I didn't have a problem with any of the images that I used and am going to use all of them for my film.

What I noticed that was new to my project is the effect the jewellery my model was wearing. It wasn't planned to test jewellery in the film but I was surprised to see that the necklaces she wore stood out by sparkling against the projected image. They also made movements of their own as if they were coming to life. I think the necklaces have given a nice effect to each shot and now has reassured me that adding jewellery to the styling of each character is the way forward.

The reflection of the projector in my models eye is also a nice addition to the film and I will try and make sure I can catch the light in each character's eyes in my future shoots.

Overall I think this test shoot was a success as it has confirmed how each shot of my film will look. I was able to find new insights of the detail that can be seen in the styling and lighting against the eyes.

What I need to do next is plan the styling including what jewellery I will use for each look. I also need to move on to planning how I will move each shot to the next in the final outcome of the film.

Call Sheet Update

My callsheet has had several changes since I created the original version. Since choosing not to have an addition of cinemagraphs with my film, the photographer and the sessions for her are no longer on the schedule. I have also switched around some of the characters with the models/actresses. I decided to do this so that each character's makeup and hair suits the models. While changing parts of my FMP plan around, I am trying to think what is best for the film and how to make it look as exceptional as I can so that all pieces of the film can fit together nicely. While updating the call sheet I think this is the most clear way of presenting who is doing what, where and when.

Mentor Session

This week I showed Sharon my test shoot on filming with the projected images. She was really pleased with the outcome. We went through each film clip to confirm which actions worked and which ones didn't. By testing out a variety of actions this made it quite simple to see from someone else's perspective what looked interested and what did not. I am going to continue to think of more actions that can be used to replace the ones I have used.

During the session we discussed what I need to do next which involves gathering further research from film theory books and films to help me understand how each shot will jump to the next one and whether I would like to include any text/subtitles from the Baz Luhrmann films. If so then how? I also need to think about including dialogue and music from the film. I know that I have my heart set on using Des'ree's, 'Kissing You' from the aquarium scene in Romeo + Juliet.

I also need to prepare the visual outcome by creating a style for each of my characters. I have already made a face chart for each character but feel that I need to make more so there is a variety of choice to see what fits best with each character's look.

Remi Kozdra & Kasia Baczulis

For my film, I am trying to think of different ways of making my film look creative with the use of colour and images to portray how Baz Luhrmann uses colour in his films. These images of Masha Radovskaya by photographers Remi Kozdra and Kasia Baczulis have merged coloured gels with water to create these shimmery effects against Masha's skin. I find these images so inspiring because of how these photographers have used an element of water on the image to create an effect that is more than just projecting colour. The use of colour and lighting also sets the tone of these images which I think has constructed a dark mood to it. I think these images relate to my project because although gels were used to create this outcome, I am still trying to find ways of projecting colour with possibilities of a different perspective through cinematography than photography. I am also creating a similar look for one of my characters so an option I could take from this is testing how wet skin looks in film.

A link to Masha Radovskaya by Remi Kozdra and Kasia Baczulis from : http://www.portraitsofgirls.com/masha-radovskaya-by-remi-kasia/

Benjamin Garcia

Although these paintings that the artist Benjamin Garcia has created is inspired by the blurred lines within his dreams, I feel that the way he has constructed his artwork can relate back to my project. He is building up images of his dreams but in a way that it forms into the shape of a face/figure. I can understand how this is effective by forming a vivid dream through painting because of the disorientation of the images. It is almost like he is projecting these images onto their face but by using paint.

I think Benjamin Garcia's work can identify with my project because he is creating vivid images on these faces/figures and I want to create a film with the aesthetic of projecting images from Baz Luhrmann films onto my characters. The way I am testing this out is artistically abstract like how Garcia's images are abstract within the unclear imagery built up to form these faces/figures. Looking at Garcia's work, I need to take it forward by testing out and understanding how to pursue what I am projecting onto my characters to reflect unique shapes and textures. I need to make sure these shapes are seen quite sharply on film so that these creations are clear to see.

Benjamin Garcia interview: http://www.panamericanworld.com/en/article/psychological-realism-benjamin-garcias-art

Link to Benjamin Garcia's work: https://uk.pinterest.com/source/beng-art.com

Test Shoot - Strictly Ballroom Design 2

During this test shoot we filmed one of the Strictly Ballroom inspired characters using a green screen in the background. Once filmed we were going to edit the background into a cinema backdrop but my ideas of where the shooting would take place changed between filming and editing so I there is no need to edit the final outcome of this shoot.

While filming I didn't feel comfortable using the green screen as there were technical issues setting it up. I do not want this to happen every time we shoot as the plan needs to run smoothly. The lighting also wasn't easy to use and made my model look flattering.

On a positive note my model was very natural acting what I directed her to do but I also feel that I am still struggling to direct and be clear with what I am telling my model to do.

It is uncertain to know what the final edit would have looked like but I think this method of using the green screen would have resulted in a long process that I do not understand well enough to address. With the makeup I would have preferred everything to look more dramatic as I do not feel that it is striking enough. I will take this information forward and maybe rethink how her makeup should look like in the outcome of the film.

Mentor Session

This week I showed Sharon my images from the test shoot using the projector. We came to an agreement that I should create my film using this format. I am happy about this decision as I have been feeling very unsure of how my film should look after doing several tests and not being happy with a majority of them. I also had ideas developed from this test shoot that would be very complicated to create so the fact that I will be doing this purely, helps so much as now I know how to set up each shoot. I do think the projector shoot has been the most successful and the fact that I feel more comfortable shooting the film in this format puts a much more positive mood onto my project.

What I need to do next is another test shoot with the projector but this time involve filming and add actions for my model to act out. I am also going to print out more images to experiment further in their effects against a model's face.