Narratives Evaluation
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the Narratives module. I found it interesting to dissect exactly what makes a narrative, then work on a story around this theory.
I particularly enjoyed the task of finding a news story from 2011 to base my book around, and after choosing the News of the World phone hacking scandal, then began to dissect the story to fit around the Narratives module - Deciding who to choose as the protagonist and then developing the obstacles and climax around this. After further researching into the phone hacking scandal, the articles and facts I found on the subject fuelled my satirical fire. After looking at Private Eye cartoons, and other political satirical comic strips and illustrations, I decided as a Visual Communicator to create the book in a way that would explain the story to an unfamiliar audience, whilst entertaining those who were aware of the scandal. During the book part of the module I suffered a head injury, which then turned into Post Concussion Syndrome and disabled me from working for two weeks. I found it difficult to catch up after this, especially with the number of illustrations I wanted in my book, but through hard work I managed to hand it in for the original deadline despite having an extension. I believe the hours I spent illustrating for this book have considerably improved my practice - I also taught myself how to use Adobe Illustrator. I enjoyed the book binding and can see myself creating another book for a project in the future.
The film part of the module was more challenging for me. I do not consider myself a film maker, and although I enjoyed making and editing the previous film for Visual Exploration, this film was a lot more difficult. After having inductions and hiring the required equiptment, I enjoyed the physical filming and directing part of the film, but the group managed to fill the 60 minute tape, and so editing was a harder task. The visual language in the group film was incredibly different from my book, although I enjoyed considering how to get the correct tone for what we wanted to achieve in comparison to the films we had studied for inspiration. The group I was a part of worked well together; Whilst filming we all shared responsibilities, but when it came to editing I felt like I was made to take a back seat and thus the finished film was not exactly how I would have edited it. However, the development and considerations that went into the process were enjoyable.
The Narratives module has enabled me to realise the potential of my illustrative skills, and allowed me to develop my use of language with consideration for different audiences.
Working on desaturating the film as the lighting has created a yellowy orange glow throughout
We’ve booked the soundbooth out to add the voices of the extra characters, and create more soundeffects to add to the film.
Building tension. Weird sound effects inspiration.
More inspiration - Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - Pure Imagination.
Last minute problem: The smoke machine we were going to use went missing. We had to phone around party hire companies around the Leeds area in order to find one, and the nearest one we couls use was in Garforth. Steph went on the train to get it.
After our lighting induction. Matt let us take out a set of three lights, the camera and tripod. These shots are of us setting up the set before the main actor arrives from Norwich tomorrow!
(Source: anomic)
Bonobo - Black Sands.
The song we intend to use for our dancing/waltz scene.
KNOCK EDITED SCRIPT AND STORYBOARD.
Click ‘expand’ and play to scroll through them both like a book full screen.
Identifying factors in the film:
Structure - How is the film organised?
The film will be shot in one room throughout to emphasise the struggle and claustrophobia of the protagonist. The structure of the film is a running narrative which develops through flashbacks.
Characters - How are the charicters delineated? What is their narrative function? How are heroes and villains created?
The film focuses on one main character, who continually hears knocking sounds. The protagonist is a man who is increasingly unable to cope with his situation. Other characters come in and out of the film and do so through flashback. Their function is to explain a narrative backstory, which develops throughout. A villain is created at the end, after a long dance/waltz scene.
Audience - How is the audience positioned in relation to the narrative?
We intend to create the film to be uncomfortable and unnerving, and so it is aimed at an adult audience. To emphasise this, we intend to use various sound effects such as humming, drones, drips, electrical whirs - all of which run throughout the film.
Theme - What are the major themes of the narrative? what values/ideologies does it embody?
The major themes of the narrative play on the idea of loneliness, isolation, frustration and alienation. The film unfolds the personal struggle endured by one man. It arguable touches upon the notion of schizophrenia, although this is never confirmed.
Other - What is the role of such features as sound, music, iconography, genre, mise-en-scene, editing etc within the narrative?
The role of sound as previously discussed is to create an unnerving and tense atmosphere. The knocking noises will gradually built up and fade out throughout the film, creating a sense of dread and suspense.
The iconography will tie in with objects expected in a narrative about isolation and desperation to ‘get out’. This includes the protagonist’s pen and paper - he creates a personal diary, also emphasising his lack of anyone else to talk to. There are shots of the walls of the room the character sits in. There will be a door in the room we film in, in which the characters will enter and exit through - this is intended to make a subtle connection to the idea of the door representing the protagonists ‘mind’. There is also a ‘table’ made out of old suitcases - perhaps implying the character has escaped with a handful of possessions to this place, or it is an unused space in a larger house, such as an attic.
For the genre we intend to keep the film tied in with psychological thrillers.
The film will be edited in a way which will allow us to tell a fairly complex plot in the alloted time space. There will be many atmospheric shots quickly switching from one to another, and long shots of the character speaking, cutting to him writing and twitching in order to keep the viewer interested.
Other things we need to think about for the film are having a lighting induction, possible use of a smoke machine, coloured lighting, other ways to add atmosphere, costume and props, 4 actors.
More inspiration - This time from the film 1408.
Kai’s suggestion focusing on the same idea of one man’s struggle with a surreal reality. The notion of claustrophobia and frustration is played really well in this clip, although it may take a more humourous approach than what we plan to take.
The first film which sprang to mind for me upon reading Kai’s script was Eraserhead.
The notion of the surreal reality lived by one man rings true to our script. I suggested to the group that we include the kind of uncomfortable ambience and drones/hums that are heard throughout Eraserhead in our film.
The script that Kai wrote previously. We have gone through it as a group to decide which scenes to keep and which to get rid of. Further work is needed for this to get it down to 5 minutes, and also to alter the text for a screenplay by making it less dramatic and theatrical.
Film ideas
Short psychological thriller.
Kai has a play that he wrote last year, which he would like to make into a short film.
Need to research films in this sort of genre - focusing on the idea of isolation/bizarre personal realities.
