Five Stone of Lead-Short of the Week

https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2015/12/08/five-stone-of-lead/

Five Stone of Lead is the short film made by JustSoLondon. This film conveys the positive attitude of a young aspiring Jockey. His small stature is counter weighted with five stone of lead so he is able to ride in the competitions his ability allows him to do.

The film is shot using natural colour and clever graphic matches. The browns and greens mix well into a saturated look to the film, conveying the triumph over adversity. This further enforces the integral feeling of reality and how the young boy is shaping his own future. The colours in the still are of a blue hue which is what I am conveying in my short film. This will have a similar effect on my audience, allowing them to stand with the protagonist's view.

The screenshot I have taken is a prime example of how the cinematographer is using framing to allow the spectator  to connect with the boy. We understand his relationship with horses and how this passion is driving him forward.

I have taken influence from this short film due to the strong narrative and the mesmerizing images. When I begin shooting tomorrow I will emulate the energy captured by these shots to drive the narrative forward.

THE SECRET WORLD OF FOLEY - FISHERMAN'S CABIN

When discussing with my teacher my use of Foley sound for the kicking of the ball, she recommended the short clips from The Secret World of Foley. Initial reaction when watching the clip was admiration, particularly in how the Foley artists where able to make the sounds they wanted. The timing of the sound effects was impressive, which got me thinking about Foley for my sounds as well.

For my short film I intend to use different sounds of the football and how to create more impact with them. The spectator will be able to engage in the visuals more and

MGS Targets

Targets

• Go out and shoot photos which are linked to locations (annotations)
• storyboard is linked to my screenplay
•  get some digital shots which are linked to the storyboard
• create an animatic
• research copyright free sound  
• record foley sound (DONE)
• Secret World of Foley Sound

Lighting: Bedroom

Post production: Lighting setup

 

Playing on the Memento inspiration, I decided to create a cool, cold image for my protagonist because of the turmoil in her head. Because the black and white in Memento allows for it's cynical feel, I am using cold lights to produce the same effect.

I used my brother as a subject to pratice my lighting technique on, allowing me to see the light I had to work with and the probalms I could use to fix this.

How I got the look

 

Step one: Natural lighting

Beforehand I set up the shot with a light on. There where three major problems with this shot:

• The subject isn't defined from the background, causing the image to be flat
• there is a shadow on the right hand side of his face that darkens out his left eye
• Although the hoodie and purple wall contrast well, the subjects skin tone blend into the background

 I liked the way the shadow created a pensive mood on Joshua's face, but I didn't want the shadow to drown out his features and cause unnecessary shadow. I did like the lamplight above because it gave a cynical feel to the subject, however the negatives outwieghted the positives.

Step Two: Defining the subject

 I knew I would have to build the image up step by step to create the effect I wanted. I turned off the light so I could build up from the darkness. This helped me stage the lighting I wanted through the lens and how to get the right atmosphere from the image.

To achieve this look I added a LED torch behind on a table. This was my back light so Joshua could be defined from the wall.What struck me was how cold the blue was. It gave the atmosphere a deep colour that I wasn't expecting, but allowed there to be emotion and depth at the same time.

 

 

Image: I placed the camera in the corner to add an interesting angle off the wall to soften the light

Image: The light was bounced light to define Joshua from the wall

 Image: I used a simple blue torch to seperate the subject from the background

Step Three: Filling out dark shadows

I used my reflector to bounce the light onto Joshua's right hand side of his face. By doing so I was able to define him but the effect left the subject with a heavy shadow, much like the one before I set up lighting. To fix this I added my iPod light to the shot to make the shadow softer.

 

Image: POV of the reflector            Image: I bounced the light off      Image: I added an iPod light to

                                                         the reflector to soften the light      solve the issue of the shadow

What I have learnt:

• Defining the subject is a great way to add depth and make my shoot look more professional
• Different types of lighting can effect the way my image looks to the spectator
• Using simple everyday items can enhance my films look 

Next time:

• Arrange dates for shooting 
• prepare outside lighting 

Locations for shooting

Locations for Shooting

Place: 
Bedroom (Scene: Steph talks herself into trailing for the club)

Where:
At home. The location is controlled and I plan to use lighting to create an atmosphere. I want the scene to feel as if Steph must decide to press on, but the darkness surrounding her demonstrates to pressures she is up against.

Place

Park (Scene: Steph's training sessions)

Where

Worth. This is a local area which I deigned in mind for the films opening. 

Place

Gravel Road (Steph training)

Where

Worth. This shot will add atmosphere to the film and also convey Stephanie's changing attitude to the adversity she is facing.

Place

Stairs (Scene: Steph sees the team playing without her)

Where

School. This allows the spectator to see Steph's isolation as well, connecting with her emotion and understanding her ambition to get into the club.

Place

Astro turf (Scene: Finale/Climax)

Where

School. This ground is where the tension has risen to. I am intending to not only depic the team as a formiddable force but the ground they train on a sacred area.

Place

Hallway (Steph is pushed and shoved)

Where 

School. This hints at the other problems Steph is having to deal with, but because we are only showing extracts of this we can feel her torment as she cannot tell anyone about it. Her responce to the abuse conveys her character as one who i

Story boarding-Experimenting with Different Shots

Story Boarding- Experimenting with Different Shots 

Aim: To experiment with shot styles without using a camera
Why: This is a technique used to save time and money during production. This means I can focus more on getting an emotion out of my actors rather than focusing on setups.
 

This shot is inspired by the idea of objects being bigger

 in frame meaning something to the protagonist. To convey Stephanie being overwhelmed by the situation she is in I have placed a trophy from her previous club looming over her. This gives a sense of foreboding to her room, almost like her subconscious.

I hand drew the shots and would focus on the proportions of the items in the frame. This is to inform the spectator where Stephanie is in this world and how she is feeling or being seen by society. The outside shot (left) is the second isolation shot used and the shot before the title. It gives gravitas to the performance of Stephanie and binds the opening together into one package.

The shot after the Main Title throws this isolation motion back into the spectator's mind. This conveys to them that the protagonist is still alone even though she is comforted by all of her possessions. I hope to invigorate a feeling of sadness for Steph as the audience wonder what will happen next.

 I would set the storyboards out side by side to determine their continuity or impact. This was helpful because I could alter the position of the shots and see what impact I could have when switching the shots around or in different positions.
At some points I had to remove shots completely or change their timings in order to tell the mood I wanted. I found that having a mixture of shots and levels helped gives the film depth in its universe and make the characters in it feel realistic.

Overall I felt this way of story boarding was extremely helpful to me because it allowed me to create more with the little amount I had. I will continue experimenting with this whilst thinking how to create the mood I saw in the 'Pictures that Inspired Me' Blog post.

Overall I have learnt:

• Moving the pictures around is a great way to experiment without wasting time or money
• I can simply change or alter shots with ease



Checklist for next week:

• To take photos using the football field as an eye line for my shots
• Think about how I can direct the football players while still getting the best from my story. (This will involve knowing exactly what type of shots I want so the girl's only have to do the movement three times, for example. This will stop them getting bored and loosing interest) 

Inspiration photos

Inspiration for framing: How I can convey loneliness in the shot

 


Here is a collage of photos I am taking inspiration on for this shoot. I am hoping to create my film to similar effects to visually demonstrate Stephanie's isolation. I hope to take inspiration from these shots while shooting. This will juxtapose with the intense football scenes later on.

 
 

This opening shot of the goal is a great way to set the tone of the film. I love the atmospheric look on the pitch and how the depth of field is open to convey the barren landscape. I could use this as an opening to my film and gently fade in the audio of girl's playing football before cutting to the action. Even though this shot may not make it into my film I found it a wonderful picture that captured the mood of my film.

The second photo inspired a shot I am sure to experiment with whilst filming. Steph can walk past the team warming up. We see her hunger and desire. The camera tracks along with Steph and the spectator becomes intrigued as to what she has seen. We CUT to see her looking at the team together, CUT back to show her reaction. These simple shots can also convey isolation without the need for wide angle shots every time I pick up the camera. This will also prevent the spectator from getting bored and the film becoming predictable.

This third shot will be good for my 18-55mm lens. I can shoot the football team playing football and allowing the spectator to see why they are creating the movement they are using. I watched an insightful video called 'The things wrong with Action Films Today', although I would consider my film to be a drama, the way I shoot the ball moving is much like an action film. The spectator needs to be aware of:
Why the character is moving to that position
A sense of the surrounding so the action does not become disorientating
A narrative behind the movement (e.g. the girl's want to score. The opposition don't want them to)

The fourth shot is one I like a lot. It can be used to show Steph's growing strength and ability as a character just by placing her in a powerful position. The lighting changes from an obscure and harsh light to one that fills the arena and gives the shot a spectacle. This reminds me of the poster for Rudy as it plays on the same idea of a young man against the odds of others.

Style and traits
There is a wide depth of field in all of these shots, opening up to the spectacle of the shot. In order to do this with my camera I will have to increase the F-stop on my camera to gain the same effect. To add to the effect further I can have Steph standing powerfully or to the side to show the imperfections as the protagonist.

Thinking about the colour of my film

Aim: To investigate the creative process of choosing colour and define what my look is in colours.

As I prepare the second draft of my script, I keep thinking about how to create a cinematic look for the audience to hang onto. Not only would this help tell the depths of the narrative (Isolation Etc.) To improve my production value of my film. Combined with careful consideration of cinematography and movement, I feel that choosing my colour palette will improve the look of my film and give it that extra edge. I plan to enforce Stephanie's loneliness with dull colours, using browns and greens to not only represent her; but play homage to the football pitch she craves.

The article discusses the use of colour palettes with its new launch: Shutter Stock Labs. This website allows the creator to surf and discover photos with varying colour palettes. I loved this website because I could see how different shots use the colours; right down to the clothes that the actor is wearing. 

Overall, I was impressed by the colours on this website. The different colours available to explore informed me of the different colours that go together. I immediately became drawn to the door handle icon as it held a severe look to life that Steph is trying to escape through her football. This made me think of how to express Stephanie's joy through colour, and I figured that I should use the colours of the green Astro pitch and the girl's pink football kits to display this. 

This colour palette drew me in because of it's professional look and 'reality'. I think this would be good to use in the opening scenes to show Steph's legislation. This can also be used in parts of the montage to convey how society wants Steph to mould to their expectations. 

The photo that drew me in the most is the middle frame. It shows a young man with his arms open wide, in a victorious framing. His clothes match the colour of the background without washing him out. The rain adds fantastic detail to the frame and adds atmosphere to the piece.

This research allowed me to discover the importance of colour within my short film and how it can influence the Audiences mood. I plan to experiment with different white balance effects and seeing if by choosing an unusual balance it will create another mood visually for the audience to pick up on.

Memento Hotel Room

Inspiration: Making the theme of isolation prominent in my film

Aim: Visualise how Nolan uses isolation in the Hotel Room scene in Memento and how this can be used to effect in my film.

                            

I was thinking of best how to show Stephanie at her most vulnerable and how to show this without any dialogue. I remembered this scene from Memento: Leonard Shelby is sat alone in a Hotel Room with no clue where he is or how he got there. This scene inspired me to create a subjective scene in Stephanie's bedroom were we can see the area around her and consciously view and judge her. I intend to use high angled shots to demonstrate how isolated she is as a person. 

I looked deeper into the scene and discovered a 24 minute documentary on how Memento was made. They discussed the Hotel Scene and how the cinematographer wanted the camera to feel as if it was a CCTV camera looking down on Lenny, the spectator being allowed to see Leonard on his own yet sill feel constricted due to the tightness of the shot. 

(Insert Drawing in here)

 I decided that I would add a trophy on top of the cabinet into the shot to force Stephanie to the left hand side of the frame. This shows her vulnerability as a character and allows the spectator to see the impact of not making the team had on her. It can also symbolise how important football is to her and the momentous task that she is facing to get into the school club. 

PRE-PRODUCTION: The Creative Process

PRE-PRODUCTION: THE CREATIVE PROCESS

Aim: to write down all my ideas and get them onto paper

Result: This allowed me to narrow down my pathway for my film and the message I wanted to convey.

I started out writing anything that would come to mind. I was sure to assemble something from my aims and goals for the shoot. This work accumulated over the process of two weeks, as I dedicated time to thinking about the major themes of my narrative and how I was going to make a story I would be able to show others at the end of post production.

I was sure to add notes as I went along. Soon I had a mixture of notes that I could experiment with I felt happier about the script writing process. I also began analyzing shots from 'Pressure Makes Us' by Nike to gain influence from their kinetic shooting and style. I found this very helpful because by watching how they moved the ball I was able to pick up on simple techniques that will help me create energy within the film.

One of the main adjectives of this shoot is to add subtle hints to the audience. My themes will be present but will not dominate the screen-allowing for enjoyable viewing and a moral lying underneath. For example, I can have Steph sat isolated in the bottom right hand of the frame, conveying her as isolated and alone on her mission. This is more effect than having dialogue because it gets straight to what I want to say about Steph and her position.

I have also been thinking about using the tragedy genre into my film. Maybe my protagonist could injure herself before her trial, either through overworking herself or through a flawed act? I was sure to write down the idea, but henceforth haven't came up with any creative decisions around this motif. I did find it useful to write down as I can now refer to it if it becomes a more relevant plot line later on in Pre-Production.

I tried using different diagrams in my creative process. I initially tried using the circle diagram, but I found it just made me subconscious about the narrative lining up. I was sure to write down the colours in my head as I was writing, as I want to get the image out there as clear as possible.

 Overall I have learnt: 

• My narrative is to show the progress of a young girl named Steph. She is the only one who believes she can get onto her football team. We see her hard work and the pressure she puts herself under to get into the team. When she finally does score The Impossible Goal, we feel for her as we have made this journey with her.
• There will be two main character. Steph, who wants to play football, and Jane, who is Steph's older sister. After receiving feedback from friends they said it would make the script stronger if Steph had someone she could look up to.

 

Aims for next week:

• To narrow down my options between the draft scripts
• Plan the movements I want the girl's football team to make as this will play a big part in continuity. 
• Think about the impact of lighting and how I can intensify the scene with harsh lighting. 

Themes for my Short film: Prejudice

When EA announced it was including women in FIFA 16 it was a milestone in the game and for the careers of the women who play it. However, amongst the hype and expectation Twitter allowed outrage to break as a flow of sexist tweets appeared:

Your top scorer refuses to play cuz the second kit makes her look fat #FIFA16

— Hugo (@Hxgo__) May 28, 2015

I hope @EASPORTSFIFA would mak bOObies look realistic and bounce in #FIFA16

— Loai El Nomeiry (@The_Loai) May 28, 2015

Your star player is having a bad game bcos of her period #fifa16

— KING OF MEMES (@PhemieB) May 28, 2015

Feminists have won. I'm so hurt. #FIFA16

— daddy (@tackyz) May 28, 2015

This is a worrying problem for women's football as the game has never had female football players established on the game before. Although it is national teams only, this is a big leap into the development into the women's game and how they are represented by the media.

Storyboards/ mood for the film

Over the past week I have been analysing the ideas behind Pressure Makes Us and how the cinematographer uses the camera to enforce the game. Unlike most football films, these cinematographers use the ball in a unique and effective way, displaying the talent of the women while keeping the kinetic energy up in the game.

The Impossible Goal Draft Script

The Impossible Goal

First Draft

By Shona Kinal

Scene one- EXT.-Astro Turf

Steph is watching her school football team train from the sideline. The footballers feet are mesmerising.

One of the girl's heads the ball to another who then scores in the top right hand corner of the goal. The girl and her friends celebrate. Steph sighs and walks away on her own.

Scene- EXT. - Pavement

On the way home Steph spots a stone lying on the floor. With adrenaline Steph begins to dribble with the stone. We hear the sound of a crowd cheer her on. Steph gets more and more excited. The commentators expect a goal. Steph spots a place where she can score. She emulates the girl’s run from the previous scene. The voices and crowd echo away...Steph swings her leg back...

Scene-INT.-Changing Room (FLASHBACK)

...We hear the voice of a coach echoing towards us.

Coach

Your shooting ability isn’t up to our standards. I’m sorry, Steph. Maybe next time.

we fade into an empty changing room. Steph is hunched over with her legs curled up to her chest. She is devastated and trying to hold in tears…

Scene-Int.-Pavement

Steph kicks the stone but it flies into the air. She stands in the empty street alone. Sudden cut to black. Title.

The Impossible Goal

Scene-INT.-Bedroom-Evening (GRAPHIC MATCH)

...Steph is in her bedroom sat with her back against the wall. Her room is dark and moody (Harsh lighting). We see Steph from above as the trophies from her previous club loom over her.

The door opens. An inch of light hits Steph’s face. Jane appears at the door.

Jane

Steph...

Steph looks to the ground. Jane sits on the edge of the bed.

Jane (Cont.)

It’s not nice being rejected, but you can’t just give up now.

Steph

I don’t know what to do.

Jane

Don’t worry about it. It’s just a blip in your stride, okay?

Steph

but it’s not.

Jane

If I let everyone's opinions bother me after I made my drawings I wouldn't be here. You’ll learn in time that only your opinion matters.

Steph

Do you think I can do it?

Jane

(sighs) It may be hard, but it’s not impossible. Look, no one can make you a better striker but yourself. Just have a little faith, Steph.

Jane exits. Darkness exhumes the room. Steph puts her hands over her face. She sits there for a long time before she looks up again. Her eyes drop onto her football on the other side of the bedroom.

Steph shuffles forward and picks up her ball. She looks at her heros on the wall and the analysis she has made on the wall. She looks up with determination.

Scene-EXT.-Park

Extreme close up on Steph’s boots as she runs (Low level)

Cut to show Steph’s face going full pace and determined.

Cut to a wide shot in which we see Steph doing a Arrowhead agility test.

Scene-EXT.-Park

Steph’s feet do ladders in and out of the bottles. Steph fakes lefts and rights and attempts to score. She misses all of them.

Scene-EXT.-Park

Steph watches tutorials on Youtube for training drills. She walks over to the cones she has set up. She runs in and out of them and takes a shot at the end of them.

Scene-EXT.-Day-Park

Steph tries to improve her previous training session. A group of girls giggle at her behind her back. Steph ignores them.

Scene-INT.-Lunch-OLC

A group of sixth formers are sitting eating lunch (foreground) while Steph trains by her own (background). She is framed by the window in the background.

Scene-INT.-Lunch-Hallway

Steph walks by a notice in the hallway. She runs back. It reads ‘FOOTBALL TRIALS: ALL YEARS. TWO WEEKS TIME’

Scene-EXT.-Evening (Golden Time)- Country Road

Steph is jogging along the road trying to increase her stamina. The sun lays in the background behind her as we see her with tired eyes. She presses on.

Scene-INT.- Evening

Steph is sat analysing the movements of Abby wambach and the US Women’s team.

Scene-INT.-Evening

Steph is playing out in the dark in her back garden. Jane spots her out of the window. She turns back to her drawings, satisfied.

Scene-INT.-Morning-Changing Room

The air is still. Steph is sat on her own, this time in the pink football kick of the school’s football club. She sits quietly thinking to herself. A quiet murmur of voices is heard. Steph’s heart jolts. She hears giggles from the door. She runs over to the door but the boys have already shut it. Steph seems to slow down.

Stephs

Guys...

The boys continue to laugh from the other side of the door. She begins pulling on the door handle.

Tom

Shut it, lesbian!

The boys laugh among themselves. They put all their weight onto the door. Steph sits back and waits patiently.

They continue to shout abusive language while Steph sits there and waits for the moment to pass by. Suddenly the boys run away. Jane swings the door open quickly.

Jane

Come on! Coach is looking for you!

Scene-EXT. Astro Turf

Steph runs onto the football pitch where training is about to start.

Coach

We have you been?

Steph

I got held up

The Coach gives her a stern look. Suddenly The Coach notices the boys mocking Steph from the playground. She returns her attention back to Steph.

Coach

Get on. You’re playing in midfield.

The players get into position. Steph notices her sister standing on the side-line. The coach shouts for play to begin.

The game moves rapidly. The opposition grains possession of the ball first. They run towards the defence. A girl shoots and hits the crossbar. Steph looks around. Her sister gives her a thumbs up. Steph retains her focus. Steph gets the ball and passes it well. The Coach has to do a double take.

Coach

She’s got a good touch. Who does she play for?

Jane

Her team folded

Steph runs with the attack. Steph notices the goal is open. She calls for the ball. We watch Steph pull her leg back and aim at goal.

The world goes into slow motion. Jane tires to hold in her excitement...Steph foot gets closer to the goal... The coach watches with her cold eyes....Steph remains focused... Her foot makes contact with the ball.

The goalie’s face changes to one of horror. We return to normal motion to see the ball smash into the top corner of the goal.

The girls erupt into cheers and suddenly Steph is surrounded by her new teammates. Jane pumps her fist into the air.

Jane

Yes! Yes! That’s how you do it! Get in!

The Manager makes a single look at her to be quiet. Jane returns to silence but smirks over to Steph. Steph looks up, smiles confidently and a black shot swoops into place.

END

Posters:Taking Inspiration

Football Posters

Title of Production: Pressure Makes Us

Genre: Promotional/Documentary

Aim: To show the Ladies American National Team as they prepare to compete in the World Cup in Germany.

These colours are saturated and monochrome, much like how I want the opening of my short film to be. I feel that these posters convey a grittier side of women's football and give it a serious tone.

Graphics wise, I like the use of the diagonal cut through the side of the frame. It allows there to be a balance between Abby Wambach and the title of the film. This not only balances out the shot but allows there to be a focus on the player.

The photographer has taken care with their shot, using a shallow depth of field to give prominence to the player and the concentration on her face. furthermore, the

Other sports:
I feel it is important not only to look at how my sport is represented, but how other sports are presented through the media. The tale of adversity and not giving up is something that is prominent through all sports, and I feel this is a message that is important in my short film.

Title of Production: Bend It Like Beckham

Genre: Film

Aim: Nelson Mandela meets with captain Francois Peinarr to motivate their country through the 1995 World Cup Championship.

This poster uses the idea of the white background I originally had in mind. It gives the poster a polished look and allows the colours of the South African team to stand out. The way Mandela and Peinarr rise out of the poster increases their strength, as well as highlighting the lower part of the frame which the African team uses to embody the frame.

Title of Production: Rudy

Genre: Film

Aim: A young man faces obstacles in his efforts to play for college football team, Notre Dame

The reason I like this poster is because of the isolation of the main character. Much like my own protagonist, Rudy is the only one who believes he can play for the team he loves the most, but it is his drive and character that get him to that place. Unlike Invictus, which displays unity and strength, Rudy is on his own in a wide open pitch.

 

Title of Production: Bend it Like Beckham

Genre: Comedy/Drama

Aim: A young woman must overcome her parent's negativity of playing football in order to play for her local semi pro team.

Although this film is about women playing football I find the poster to informal for my liking. I prefer the hard hitting Invictus poster compared to this, as it uses the white space to enforce the space around the protagonist's faces. It also makes their stature larger, unlike this poster which is full on empty space.
I also do not like the colours. Unlike the 'Pressure Makes Us' Advert, This cheerful poster displays all the happy smiling faces to attract its audience. With my film I want it to make a statement about determination in a tough situation, not to be comical and laughable.

Targets MGS

• Storyboards (DONE)
• Test footage (Test out the line of the field) 
• colourisation (DONE)
• look at posters (DONE)
• poster and review (DONE)

Colour Pallete within The Impossible Goal

Within my film I intend to learn more about colour grading and how to make my audience feel a particular mood within my film. Becuase the opening is restaining my character from her goals, I want the opening shots to convey be desaturated and monochrome. This will help sell to the audience that my protagonist is down on her luck or there is an obsticle against her.


  

These wide isolationg shots are perfect demonstation for the feel I am going for at the begining of the short film. Although there is more depth of field in these shots, they are to show how far away the subject is from were they want to be. Photo One makes the spectator want to understand what the character is staring at, while Photo Two allows us to see what this character is looking at. But combind with the blue colour correction and body of water is allows the spectator to feel the distance between the place that character wants to be.

As the film progresses, however, I will open up the colour within the film and let the greens of the feild and the pinks of the kit shine through. After seeing the pormotional videos 'Pressure Makes Us'  I was able to see how having strogn colours can convey positive emotion.