Integrated Theory and Practice (ITAP) 2: The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing

Question 1:

Why was Eisenstein's ideas about montage 'revolutionary'? Both in the context of his own cultural background and in relation to cinema?

Answer:

They were seen as revolutionary because Eisenstein was one of the first to apply self-reflecting theory, and dialectics to his films; believing that maximum impact could be achieved, if shots in a scene were in conflict (Shot A + Shot B = Shot C), which lead to his development of the ‘methods of montage’. The approach was in contrast with fellow soviet montage filmmaker’s like Vsevolod Pudovkin, who preferred to link his scenes rather than have them conflict (Shot A + Shot B = Shot AB).

Sergei Eisenstein

Vsevolod Pudovkin

Before the revolution, Russian cinematic works were marked by melodramatic plots, centered primarily on the upper classes, where emphasis was placed on the expressions and actions of the actors. Until the film stock shortages during the civil war, film companies could not risk experimentation; which started with the editing of existing films to suit the countries' ideals, and lead to the first examples of Soviet Montage Cinema, one of the first being Eisenstein’s “Strike” in 1924.  

Question 2:

In his essay 'word and image' Eisenstein describes five methods of montage. What are they?

Answer:

The 5 methods of montage proposed by Sergei Eisenstein are as follows; 

Metric Montage, referring to the length or duration of each piece of film within a montage, where the motive of the film is placed intentionally.

Rhythmic Montage, where complexity is added to a shot.

Tonal Montage, where a sense of melody is placed in order to produce and emotional reaction, primarily through lighting.

Over tonal Montage, where in addition to lighting, it emphasizes the texture of the objects within the shot. Basically observing what happens to the object over time under the light.

Intellectual Montage, Where symbols are used in the shot to convey the message/s.

Question 3: 

Describe the Kuleshov effect.

Answer:

Three audience’s are presented with an actor, staring blankly onward in their direction, whilst displaying no emotion. They are then presented with 3 alternating scenes showing various action’s occurring, a sleeping infant for one audience, a coffin for another and a bowl of soup for the last. Within each scene, the cut between the actor and the scene shows that his face remains a constant blank, and the audience effectively fill in the gaps in their own minds, which tricks them into thinking that the actor has displayed the emotions attributed to each scene (sadness,love and hunger).  

The Kuleshov effect video

    

Integrated Theory and Practice (ITAP) 2: Pencils to Pixels

Question 1:

Animation styles have developed over the years and have a rich history. Which particular style and genre are you most interested in. Explain, analyze and elaborate why you have chosen it.

Answer:

Out of the multitude of methods and techniques developed over the long course of animation history, I’ve always been taken by the specifically traditional, truly hand-crafted film. The reason for this is that I get a true feeling of appreciation for what has been created with the human hand, which just doesn’t have the same impact if it were done with CGI (granted this does not apply to every creative studio or company that specializes with CGI like PIxar, but when done cheaply it will tend to be more disliked than cheap hand drawn work).

CGI animation done right.

     

CGI that's gone horribly wrong.

Whereas hand drawn animation, even on cheap budget's retains a certain charm about
it that most of the time redeems it. 

Little Princess.

Even to the point of cut-out animation (Ivor the Engine)

Question 2:

What makes a pencil line become a character? What makes a drawing become emotion,  movement, humor and etc.? Research and explain John Lasseter's statement. Provide examples to substantiate your findings.

Answer:

I think that what makes a pencil line become a character is in it’s sense of movement. I find it crucial that even with a still drawn image, the way the line constructs the character can tell the viewer a lot about it’s state of mind and general mood, which then brings about the emotional attachment that helps tell the audience how they should feel towards this character, towards a greater believability.

You can tell not just from his expression, but also from
the way his posture is drawn that he is a proud, happy character.

Big Bad Pete on the other hand, is drawn a lot sharper  on the edges, giving the impression of a more rough and rugged character. The face helping to top him off as the villain.

A quote of John Lasseter’s from the ‘Pencil to Pixel‘ helps to back this up. “It’s (Animated films are) successful not because of the quality of the draftsmanship, or the look of things, its successful because of the personality of the characters. people are looking beyond the actual drawing itself, and just falling in love with this character, wanting to see him/her again and again”.

Question 5:

What are the differences between Miyazaki's films and Western animation? Miyazaki celebrates the quiet moments of a film. What does it mean? Discuss.

Answer:

  The main difference between Miyazaki’s work and those produced by western studio’s is he will construct the film to move in a pacing equivalent to that of a book/storybook, where the viewer is allowed to be near totally absorbed into not just what the characters might be doing, but also everything else around them, very much like being given a long written description of the scenery in a novel. Most western animation will tend to draw your attention with fast pacing, so that your attention is always fixed on only what the characters are doing at every moment.

Integrated Theory and Practice (ITAP) 2: Britain Through a Lens

Question 1:

Research John Grierson's famous definition of documentary. To what extent do you agree or disagree with his definition?

Answer:

John Grierson’s famously said that “Documentary is the creative treatment of actuality” (Grierson,1932,) which fits in line with his 3 principle’s of documentary, which are as follows

(1). We believe that the cinema’s capacity for getting around, for observing and selecting from life itself, can be exploited in a new and vital art form. Documentary would photograph the living scene and the living story.

(2). We believe that the original (or native) actor, and the original (or native) scene, are better guides to a screen interpretation of the modern world.

(3). We believe that the materials and the stories thus taken from the raw can be finer (more real in the philosophic sense) than the acted article.

In terms of following all the main staples that any production that is titled as being in the documentary genre should follow, I generally agree with all the main principles attributed with documentary filmmaking. They provide a clear and defined basis for all the main structures needed to start of a documentary film.   

John Grierson

Question 2:

Who were the poet and composer on the film 'Night Mail ? What other work did they go on to produce? provide examples.

Answer:

The poet and composer who worked on ‘Night Mail were W.H.Auden (poet) and Benjamin Britten (composer). Auden went on to produce more poetic works such as ‘The Age of Anxiety’ which won him the Pulitzer Prize, libretto for a number of operatic works including “The Rakes Progress’ and ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’. ‘Night Mail’ was the only film production that he wrote for, and this was also true with Benjamin.

W.H.Auden

Benjamin Britten

Question 4:

What did the films of the British Documentary Movement depict that had previously not been seen by larger audiences?

Answer:

The British Documentary Movement exposed the population to a new and mostly uplifting portrait of themselves, through a new and creative lens. It was to be their first contact with a genre that helped to unify the classes together through a common sense of national pride and duty, which became prominent in World War 2.

Integrated Theory and Practice (ITAP) 2: The Work of Director Chris Cunningham

Question 1:

How did Bjork and Chris collaborate on the All is full of love video?

Answer:

With both Bjork and Chris, they wanted to created something outside the confines of a tight schedule, to allow both to act out their creativity more freely. This was started by shooting the video after the album was done.

Bjork would contribute the mood and emotional aspect of the visuals so that they fell in line with the lyrics and tune (i.e: all white, a sense of heaven, and lust with the two robots, from hard ivory changed to a liquid through love). 

At the same time she remained non intrusive when it came to filming and post-production, which Chris excelled in.

Chris used his early teen obsession with industrial robotics to aid in the treatment, and overall visual/conceptual aspect of the music video. He included Bjork’s facial acting, which were melded with the CGI segments in post.  

Bjork

Chris Cunningham

Link to the official music video

Question 2: 

What techniques were used on the portishead video ("Only You") to create the unusual slow motion effects?

Answer:

The way in which the filming of the actors were done, was by combining the live-action sequences of the figures in a water tank, and then digitally inserting them into the alleyway shots in post production. 

Shot from music video

Link to the Portishead video-Only You

Question 4:

Which famous sci-fi film did Chris Cunningham work on before he became a director?

Answer:

Chris Cunningham worked as the designer and supervisor on the animatronics that were used  on the central robot character in A.I. (directed by Steven Spielberg), David.

David(Haley Joel Osment)

Integrated Theory and Practice (ITAP) 2: Cinematography

Question 1:

What is the role of the cinematographer in film making?

Answer:

The role of the cinematographer, in the broadest sense, is as the director’s main visual collaborator. They will use their expertise within the area’s of lighting, composition and photography to aid in both the shooting and the development of the film.

Question 2:

Why did director Roman Polanski insist on using handheld camera in the film "Chinatown"?

Answer:

Roman Polanski’s use of a hand-held camera during the shooting of the film was to induce a greater sense of intimacy and interaction between the audience and the actor’s.

It also made sense in the structure of the film, which is seen subjectively through the eye’s of Jack Nicholson’s character,  J.J. Gittes.

J.J. Gittes

Question 5:

Who is the cinematographer for the film Apocalypse Now, and what is his philosophy?

Answer:

The cinematographer who worked on “Apocalypse Now” was Vittorio Storaro, and his film philosophy is highly influenced by the Theory of Colours made famous by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. It presents the idea that colours have a very specific effect on the viewers psychology and how this may alter their interpretation of a scene, or indeed the entire film in general.      

Vittorio Storaro

Integrated Theory and Practice (ITAP) 2: Samuel Taylor Wood

Question 2: 

How does the use of multi-screen installation in her work reflect narrative?

Answer: 

In the work of Samuel Taylor Wood, multi-screen is used to create the the depth of feeling and emotion in the subject, allowing the viewer to experience the movement, and subtle changes that life and death endures.

What is living is never a constant as what lives will always eventually die. The raw emotion is demonstrated through film displayed on a screen, while equally being enforced by still works.

The story, or present narrative is told by exposing the raw emotion and vulnerability of the subject; leaving the viewer to create their own narrative, taking from it what they will, whether it be on a purely superficial level, leaving it on just its face value, or interpreting and reflecting their own experiences and lifestyle.

The multiscreen allows the story to be told in an all consuming, all encompassing environment, giving the viewer time to enter the world crafted before them, and feel the depth of emotion felt. An example of one of these multi-screened narratives is found in her film “Third Party”, documenting the seemingly chaotic and subtle actions of a host of characters whose begin to intersect at a party.

Question 3:

What other photographers use film as an integral part of their work. list two with example?

Answer:

Two other photographers/film makers who use film as an integral part of their exhibition work and art in general are Eija-Liisa Atila of Finland, and Doug Aitken of California.

Eija-Lissa Atila

Doug Aitken

Eija utilizes the display of multiple screens and vantage points to focus on the construction  of her feminist narratives on traumatic experiences, through the use of image, language and space.

Doug’s work almost entirely encompasses the use of interior and exterior spaces to their full advantage, in brining out a full sense of emotion through the heavy use of coordinated visuals splashed along all flat surfaces, and original music conducted by friends and associates.

The Wind(2002), Eija-Liisa Atila

Altered Earth, Doug Aitken

Question 5:

Show an example of a specific gallery space or a site specific location where a video artist or film maker has created work specifically for that space and been influenced by it.

Answer:

A good, clear example that would link to Samuel Taylor Wood’s interior film displays, would be the piece entitled “Rising” by Isabelle Hayeur. It shows a film that has been designed to appear like a continuous expansion of the hallway from which it is been placed, at the Denver International Airport.

Isabelle Hayeur

  

Rising (2012), Isabelle Hayeur