Seminole Cinema: SEHS Film



Dinner With . . .Lesson ObjectivesIn this lesson, the student will continue to develop his or her practical production skills by creating a short film sequence in which two characters interact with one another in a suspenseful manner.IntroductionYou are well on your way toward becoming a fine filmmaker, so it is time to kick the challenge level up another notch. You have learned about various?shot types?and techniques for?motivated framing. You have studied two aspects of?editing:?continuity editing?and?montage?theory. This week, you have even begun your study of?German Expressionism. Finally, you have also learned a little about?formalism, and what is meant by the term,? HYPERLINK "" mise-en-scene. Can you put all of these lessons to work in a single project? Of course, you can!Assignment? 2011 Jupiterimages CorporationYour task is to create a short?scene, between 40 and 60 seconds long, which features a dinner between two people. You are free to create whatever scenario you desire, as long as the scene itself is private, with two people only. This scene should gradually build in?suspense?until it reaches some sort of climactic moment. There should be anestablishing shot, two character?point-of-view?angles, and at least four additional?angles?of your choice. This scene will have no?dialogue, but it should include a?score. (In essence, this scene will be like an early silent film, just like the ones you have recently studied.) You should?dress?your scene so it has some features of whatever setting you wish to convey. As a final touch, you must include at least one aspect of German Expressionism into your scene, your choice as to which one.Advice and GuidanceIf you already have an idea, then run with it and start planning. If you are stuck, however, then begin with what you know about German Expressionism. If you need to, go back to those lessons, or watch a scene or two from one of those films again. What aspect about this style of filmmaking appeals to you? Maybe you really dig?chiaroscuro. If so, build your scene around the interplay of light and dark. Perhaps you are intrigued by the distortions of the set and the deliberate use of harsh angles. Find a way to suggest that in your scene's background. Is the deliberately over-the-top, histrionic acting a style you find lacking in movies today? Go for it. Tell your actors to “chew the scenery.”Sub-plotBelieve it or not, “chew the scenery” is actually an acting term, and it means to act in a melodramatic, over-the-top manner. This can be a positive or a negative quality of a performance. If the role calls for it, then “he really chews the scenery” is a compliment. If it does not, then “she chews the scenery” is a fairly damning indictment. Some sources attribute the origin of the phrase to Dorothy Parker, who wrote in a 1930 review, “... more glutton than artist ... he commences to chew up the scenery ...” Others go back even further to an 1894 story by Mary Hallock Foote: “Lads, did ye hear him chewin' the scenery, giving' himself away like a play-actor?” Either way, it can be amusing to think of an actor literally going so overboard with his performance that he consumes pieces of the set.Make sure you also decide based on what you can achieve with the knowledge you have. If you do not have the skills or the time to go all out on this aspect, then rein in your ambitions for now.Jump CutStop here until you pick the aspect of German Expressionism you want to attempt in your scene. Brainstorm possibilities and then make your choice.Once you have made your German Expressionism decision, then move on to?setting.Where does this private dinner take place?In a booth at a restaurant?On a picnic bench at a park?If those seem too mundane for you, be a little more adventurous. How about two men on the gallows enjoying their last meal together? An astronaut and a computer having dinner in an airlock? Feel free to let your creative spirit soar, but do try to make the aspect of German Expressionism you have chosen and the setting work well together. Otherwise, you will just have a hodgepodge of unrelated ideas. Also, remember you need to limit yourself to what you can believably suggest with the?props?and furniture you have available to you. Part of your grade will be determined by how believable your?mise-en-scene?is.Jump CutOkay, go do it. Pick your setting. We will be waiting for you right here.Good, you have your setting. Now create two?characters, preferably?stock charactersthat an audience can easily recognize without knowing any?backstory.What is their relationship to each other?What is the?conflict?Keep it simple, but put the two characters in a position where there is some reason for tension between them. Otherwise you will not be able to build suspense, which, after all, is one of the requirements. Two guys just having lunch together happens all the time in real life, but we certainly would not want to watch a movie about them. Two guys, one of whom has just poisoned the other one's soup—now, you have a movie! Think in terms of what characters want. As soon as one wants something (to poison his former best friend) and the other wants the opposite (to live through dinner) then you are on the right track. Since this is just a short exercise, your?audience?may not not get the whole story, but if you know it, then that will help guide you to make more interesting choices.Jump CutYou know what to do.Once you have a scenario—some characters, a conflict, and a setting—then you can plan your shots. What are two main ways to pre-visualize your scene? Everyone, say it loud and proud: a?storyboard, or an?animatic. Now you have to make choices. Decide on the emotional effects you want to achieve first, and then decide camera distance and angle based on those intentions.Quick TipAlthough we will talk about it more in a future lesson, you would be well advised to observe the?action axis?in planning and shooting your shots, even now. Draw an imaginary line between your two characters. Place the camera for your?wide shot?that encompasses the whole scene on one side of that line or the other. Once you make that choice, do not cross the line. Feel free to move the camera anywhere on that side of the line but do not cross over. We will discuss why later. Just trust the rule for now.Assessment AdviceRemember, do not stick a camera someplace only because you think it is cool. Coolness, by itself, is a shallow rationale for artistic decisions. Be a conscious artist. Make decisions based on what you want your audience to think and feel. Write those intentions down on your storyboard, so you can discuss them later.The assignment calls for at least four angles in addition to the two point-of-view angles. Unlike a stage production, you can put your camera (and thereby the audience) anywhere you want. How will you communicate the story?premise?and also build suspense? The possibilities are limitless, so really explore in your boards before you check out your equipment.With all of your?pre-production?work done, you are ready to shoot your scene. Gather up everything you need for your mise-en-scene, handcuff your actors, and buy your crew some energizing beverages. It is time to make some movie magic.In general, you want to shoot your establishing shot and?master shot?(sometimes they are the same shot) first. Go through as many takes as you need to get the whole sequence of action from beginning to end in a wide shot that shows both characters in the setting. Once you have a take you think will work, have your actors look at the master shot in the camera's viewfinder. Make sure they focus on where they had their hands, legs, and other body parts for each moment. They will need to duplicate this performance as closely as they possibly can. Otherwise, the continuity will be blown and the shots will not edit together.Quick TipStage actors are encouraged, within reason, to mix it up a little on stage and explore new possibilities for each performance. There is always a little bit ofimprovisation?to a stage play for this reason. This is one of the aspects that make seeing a play an exciting experience. A film actor, on the other hand, is prized for his or her ability to replicate a performance exactly from shot to shot. If you use stage-trained actors for your film projects, make sure you make them aware of this crucial difference. Yes, they need to set the glass down in the same place every time. Every time.Once you have the master locked down, then go back and get your other angles, as per your storyboard. Check them off on the storyboard as you shoot each one.With everything filmed, be sure to thank your cast and crew before you?wrap?the session. If you used someone else's place for your scene, leave it as good or better than you found it. The world will be a better place for your courtesy. Congratulations,production?is over!The final step, of course, is?post-production, where you will edit your shots into a final sequence and then add the score. Follow your storyboard, but do not be a slave to it. If you need to change things up to tell a better story, do so.As with everything else, do not choose a song merely because you like it. Choose it because it enhances the intended meaning of the scene. If you have time, see if you can adjust your edits to the beat of the score. This is something we will naturally work on later in the course, but you can certainly be bold and try it out now.The final film of this project will be due in two weeks. Have fun and happy filmmaking!Dinner With... AssignmentAt this point you should post your film online?12.01 Submitting your Dinner With Film.Do not use Dropbox to submit your?Dinner With?film.?Post the film online on the SLFilm Youtube site and/or add to your own Youtube site and post the link in the DIscussion Forum.Following the are Dinner With... Requirements.Formal RequirementsYesNoWas the scene between 40 and 60 seconds long?10Does the scene feature a private dinner between two people?10Is there an establishing shot for the scene?10Are there two character POV angles?10Are there a minimum of four additional angles?10Is the scene dialogue-free?10Evaluated RequirementsExcellentGoodSatisfactoryPoorThe shot angles are not only interesting, but also effective in communicating meaning.10–98–65–32–0The score is appropriate and contributes effectively to the overall success of the scene.10–98–65–32–0The set has been effectively dressed, so the setting is plausible and believable.10–98–65–32–0An aspect of German Expressionism has been clearly employed in the scene. Write a brief explanation about how you did this and what effect you achieved.10–98–65–32–0Total points: 46 ................
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