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Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Monday, May 12, 2014
Blog #4: Braveheart - As It Matters In Battle
Braveheart: “As it Matters in Battle” Scene
The comedic rock throwing scene with William Wallace and his childhood friend Hamish is a perfect example of how seamless editing can completely manipulate the way we view a moment. This scene is less than two minutes long, yet it's composed of seventy-seven shots! The shots blend into one another using classic continuity editing techniques such as the match on action, eye-line match, POV sequences, and shot reverse shots. One example is when Hamish throws a giant rock intending to hit William. The sequence could easily be presented in one long take but instead, for greater dramatic effect, the filmmakers blended twenty-one shots together. (1:02-1:27) In between Hamish throwing the rock they include shots of the audience cheering him on, an example of eye-line match as the crowd looks out of the frame at something and the next shot is of Hamish which indicates they are cheering at him. They also include Williams determined expression which is composed in a shot reverse shot. (1:17-1:19)
One edit that's perfectly seamless is when William throws his tiny rock at Hamish and hits him. (1:28-1:33) The sequence begins with a medium close up of William squinting toward the right of the frame which is followed by a MCU of Hamish glowering to the left of the frame. This is an eye-line match and indicates to the audience the two are looking at one another. The sequence jumps to an extreme long shot of William lobbing the rock from the left side of the frame to the right at Hamish from a considerable distance. But before the rock makes contact with his face, there is cut to a MCU of Hamish. The rock hurtles into the frame from the left side continuing it's left-to-right trajectory and very clearly bops him in the face. This match on action gives the audience the perfect combination of experiencing the vast space between the two men and everything going on around them while also bringing them up close and personal when Hamish gets whacked in the face. One seamless cut such as this makes this moment satisfying and hilarious.
The duration of the shots creates a specific rhythm that guides the scene. During the moments where the scene peaks emotionally (i.e. when the two men take turns throwing the large rock as far as they can and again when Hamish throws the rock at William) the shots become much shorter, some only lasting a fraction of a second. This builds the viewers excitement and expectation. At the same time that the shots are shortening, the cheering of the crowd becomes louder and there's more movement within the frame. This combination of quick cuts, building volume and rapid movement allows the viewer to experience the excitement of the scene.
The scenes rhythm produces a steady up and down effect; during the low points, the shots blend together juxtaposing the feeling of the high points. The duration of the shots increases so viewers get their bearings and relax, the volume tapers down to a single casual conversation and the movement within the frame is minimal. For example, when William is challenging Hamish to hit him; (33-58) each shot is around three to five seconds in length. The cheering and background noise completely fades out which increases the dramatic effect of the conversation and the two men stand side by side keeping very still. The shots in this scene work to create a unnoticeable rhythm that builds the audience's curiosity and excitement so they can feel like a part of the crowd in the scene itself. This seemingly simple scene was carefully crafted to help tell the story in a more visceral and entertaining way. The seamless editing techniques are what make such storytelling possible.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Monday, April 7, 2014
Museum of the Moving Image
Our guide did a sound demo for us which pulled apart the various sounds you hear while watching a film. He reminded us that the three main types of sound in a film are: sound effects, dialogue and music. He explained that almost all sound effects you hear are added in during post production. We discussed one type of sound effect which are foley sounds. These are sounds created by a person who stands off to the side breaking celery to create the sound of bones breaking, or even clomping shoes on the ground to imitate the footsteps of the actor.
In this demo, we also had the chance to analyze a scene from Titanic and carefully unpack all the different layers of sound. We discovered that when you cut out all other sounds and listen to just the dialogue which was recorded in the studio in post production, it doesn't sound anywhere near as dramatic as in the scene. When we separated the sound effects from all the other sounds and the image and listened to it alone, we found it didn't sound anything like the action it was coupled with. For example, there is a loud thud when Rose jumps off the balcony of the ship onto the deck, standing alone that sound is very obscure and is actually the sound of a chair falling with a bag of potatoes tied to it. Another example is when one of the massive smoke stacks unhinges and plummets into the ocean; the sound that they used is the slowed down call of an elephant. For the sound of the cables on the smokestack breaking they used a high pitched gun shot. These sounds heighten the drama and suspense; they also give the ship a living breathing quality by having it make animal sounds (subconsciously of course...) which allows the audience to connect with the ship just as much as the people.
In this demo, we also had the chance to analyze a scene from Titanic and carefully unpack all the different layers of sound. We discovered that when you cut out all other sounds and listen to just the dialogue which was recorded in the studio in post production, it doesn't sound anywhere near as dramatic as in the scene. When we separated the sound effects from all the other sounds and the image and listened to it alone, we found it didn't sound anything like the action it was coupled with. For example, there is a loud thud when Rose jumps off the balcony of the ship onto the deck, standing alone that sound is very obscure and is actually the sound of a chair falling with a bag of potatoes tied to it. Another example is when one of the massive smoke stacks unhinges and plummets into the ocean; the sound that they used is the slowed down call of an elephant. For the sound of the cables on the smokestack breaking they used a high pitched gun shot. These sounds heighten the drama and suspense; they also give the ship a living breathing quality by having it make animal sounds (subconsciously of course...) which allows the audience to connect with the ship just as much as the people.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Soundwalk: An Inkling of Spring
The cheerful "ring, ring" of a bicycle coming up behind someone hits me first. This is immediately proceeded by two strangers bickering-- "You're not supposed to be on your bike on the path. Walkers only! You're on your bike so that makes you an asshole!" to which a husky male voice replies: "Well you're not on a bike and you're still an asshole!" The bickering fades into soft background keynotes; nearby birds chirping, the low rumble of a truck far away and the very distant hum of a passing plane. The wind beats through the trees.
Then comes more foreground sounds; the tick-tacking of paws clomping the pavement, the jingling of leash and collar, spurts of conversation ranging from intimate to obnoxious. A critter behind me is rustling through the leaves and I catch the approaching giggle of a little girl. Someone hocks a considerable loogie. Tall heels click-clack past in a hurried fashion. Someone sniffles their stuffy nose.
I hear two large dogs throwing their bodies against one another, wrestling and yelping overjoyed. An old man's raspy Italian words float by as he addresses the inside of a stroller which is emitting gurgling, squeaking baby sounds. A sharp sound signal breaks the softness and the crack of plastic indicates someone dropped their phone on the pavement. A nearby chihuahua responds with a deafening cry of disapproval. I hear a young boy's curious Spanish words stroll past. Stroller after stroller creaks by crunching the dirt underneath the rubber wheels; they form a rhythm with the beating of shoes up and down on the ground. Distant chuckles just barely reach my ear.
A large panting dog gallops by in sync with his jogging owner whose breath is quick and gasping. Fluttering feathers touch down right beside me and a turtle dove coos as she lifts off from a tree. Two French accents hurry by whispering thick gossip. The wheels of a scooter roll past on my left carrying a little girl singing secretly to herself. I hear the wet lapping of water against large rocks and suddenly the afternoon church bells float over the trees. All sounds indicate it's almost Spring in Central Park today.
Then comes more foreground sounds; the tick-tacking of paws clomping the pavement, the jingling of leash and collar, spurts of conversation ranging from intimate to obnoxious. A critter behind me is rustling through the leaves and I catch the approaching giggle of a little girl. Someone hocks a considerable loogie. Tall heels click-clack past in a hurried fashion. Someone sniffles their stuffy nose.
I hear two large dogs throwing their bodies against one another, wrestling and yelping overjoyed. An old man's raspy Italian words float by as he addresses the inside of a stroller which is emitting gurgling, squeaking baby sounds. A sharp sound signal breaks the softness and the crack of plastic indicates someone dropped their phone on the pavement. A nearby chihuahua responds with a deafening cry of disapproval. I hear a young boy's curious Spanish words stroll past. Stroller after stroller creaks by crunching the dirt underneath the rubber wheels; they form a rhythm with the beating of shoes up and down on the ground. Distant chuckles just barely reach my ear.
A large panting dog gallops by in sync with his jogging owner whose breath is quick and gasping. Fluttering feathers touch down right beside me and a turtle dove coos as she lifts off from a tree. Two French accents hurry by whispering thick gossip. The wheels of a scooter roll past on my left carrying a little girl singing secretly to herself. I hear the wet lapping of water against large rocks and suddenly the afternoon church bells float over the trees. All sounds indicate it's almost Spring in Central Park today.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Monday, February 3, 2014
My Artist Statement
When my best friend was thirteen, his father passed away and left him his 1966 Ford Galaxie. As long as I've known my friend, I've also known how special that car is to him. One day, I decided to paint a picture of the Galaxie to show Kevin how much it meant to me too. Every since then I've been painting pictures for others, rather than for myself. I'm inspired by stories of the simplest things that mean the most to people.
I've been acting on stage since I was in the fifth grade. During my senior year, my class went through a tragic loss that left the entire school emotionally wrecked. The accident occurred on the opening night of our drama club's spring show. That night our drama director, Paul, sat us down and said very simply this is why we do theatre. He told us that we were to go out in front of that audience and help them forget, just for a few hours, what they'd gone through that day. Moments later, we all went on stage together and gave the best performance we ever had. Ever since that day, I've been performing for the audience, rather than for myself. I'm interested in stories that reveal rather than pretend.
I was walking in the park a few months ago and saw an old woman sitting alone on a park bench. Then, I realized she wasn't alone, she was holding a small scruffy dog in her arms; they were nose to nose, just staring at one another. No one else seemed to notice this tiny friend peaking out of her coat; I snapped a picture and grinned the whole way home. I'm motivated less by big stories and more so by those daily spontaneous moments that could easily be missed but when witnessed, stick with you forever.
I've been acting on stage since I was in the fifth grade. During my senior year, my class went through a tragic loss that left the entire school emotionally wrecked. The accident occurred on the opening night of our drama club's spring show. That night our drama director, Paul, sat us down and said very simply this is why we do theatre. He told us that we were to go out in front of that audience and help them forget, just for a few hours, what they'd gone through that day. Moments later, we all went on stage together and gave the best performance we ever had. Ever since that day, I've been performing for the audience, rather than for myself. I'm interested in stories that reveal rather than pretend.
I was walking in the park a few months ago and saw an old woman sitting alone on a park bench. Then, I realized she wasn't alone, she was holding a small scruffy dog in her arms; they were nose to nose, just staring at one another. No one else seemed to notice this tiny friend peaking out of her coat; I snapped a picture and grinned the whole way home. I'm motivated less by big stories and more so by those daily spontaneous moments that could easily be missed but when witnessed, stick with you forever.
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