Individual Self-Evaluation

The idea behind Recluse was to create a visual and audible representation of the chaos surrounding everyday life. We decided that we would do this by mixing everyday sounds and images that are so plain and recognisable, on their own, but when put together create a sense of unease or madness. We decided that we would use split screens to represent all of the different sounds and images that we were making.

The main influence behind the film/audio piece was the short film Tango, Zbigniew Rybczynski (1981) that we had studied in a seminar. Tango creates a sense of chaos using repeated motions from different characters, all in one set and scene. We took influence from the creation of chaos but we represented it in the way of using multi-screens rather than multi-characters.

Another big influence was the short film, An Optical Poem Oskar Fischinger (1938); this gave us inspiration for the final structure of the film. The images and movement throughout a lot of the film match up with each other in terms of the timing. We took the matching up of sounds and images and used their style for Recluse. However, An Optical Poem is very beautiful to look at and watch, our piece is more of an uncomfortable experience.

 I hope that our film is received as chaotic, nightmarish and, in a way, fun to watch. I want the film to viewed as an original idea that everyone wishes they had had. The film is mainly aimed at students or young adults who feel they do not fully fit in. As the majority of the footage is shot in student accommodation, the film will be more relatable to students who are used to hearing the sounds and viewing the images that we have put together. However, I think that other age groups will be able to relate to our work as the sounds and images aren’t exclusive to students. I would also hope that the people who enjoy experimental films will also like to watch our piece.

I think that Recluse, is successful in that it looks very similar to what we envisioned at the start of the project. I think that the chaos of the film comes a lot from the sound but a lot of it is created by the constant ‘onslaught’ of new ‘mini’ screens being added to the frame. The use of multi-screens also creates a fun element to the film; this is not exactly how I imagined it would be as I thought that the multi-screens would be more organised and constant. However, I think that this element helps the film because, without it, I think that the viewer may have a frustrating experience with the film rather than a positive one. The chaotic element is still very strong throughout the film however and I think that this is one of the film’s main strengths.

I believe originality is what brings most success to a film and Recluse is original in its form and content. I have never seen a film put together the same way that Recluse has been put together. Because the way that the multi-screens come together is so ‘random’, I think that the majority of the audience will be kept interested and they will be trying to anticipate the ways in which new images are going to be introduced to the canvas.

I believe that some people would not be able to connect with or enjoy this film. This is because it has no real constant, except the fact that the sounds match the images. The ordering of the multi-screens are random and unorganised, this may be uncomforting for some members of an audience as some people need something to ‘latch’ on to when it comes to film. However, I don’t see this as a downfall for our film as we have not made it to be shown to the mass audience market, we made it for ourselves and, Jamie and me both really enjoy the film both conceptually and formally.

My main role within the project was the sound recordist and cinematographer. I enjoyed recording the sounds and I think I did a good job, but it was fairly easy and not a very demanding task. However, filming the shots and deciding how to film the shots, was the more exciting and challenging aspect of the task. I think that I got a good range of shots, using different camera lenses to create different effects. For example, on certain shots I used a fisheye lens to create an almost surreal effect, giving off the impression that character’s reality was somewhat distorted. The fisheye also allowed me to create more interesting shots out of something that maybe would not be as interesting without, such as the shots of the drawers being opened and closed. I also helped a lot with the editing of the film. Jamie and I worked out how to create split screens and multi-screens in Final Cut Pro (FCP) because we hadn’t been taught that in our FCP workshops.

I think that the final film is similar to what I had visualised at the beginning, in a way, but in a way, very different. The chaos that I had visualised is still very evident throughout the film, however the organisation of the split screens that I originally visualised is absent. This is absent because I think that the film would have been too boring and a level of chaos would have been taken away. The film now has a more ‘random’ structure in terms of the order and placing of the multi-screens and this helps to create the chaos that we were aiming for.

One of the main problems with the project was that our group member, Nyle, left the group part of the way through after we had started creating the sound piece on Logic, Jamie and me had no prior knowledge of Logic, as we have only had workshops on Pro Tools. However, we overcame this by practising with the software and using the internet to help out with queries. We also used our knowledge of Pro Tools to help with using Logic as they have similar features. Another large problem was creating the multi-screen effect in FCP. The organisation of the chaos using multi-screens was rather difficult to first grasp at first but once we had done it a few times, we got the hang of it and were able to manipulate the images to create a film that we were happy with and that fit with our initial aims.

I have learnt a lot during this project, creatively and technically. The main skill that I have developed includes both creativity and technical ability. The creation of split and multi-screening involves a lot of technical ability and the idea of it, I think, is very creative. In FCP, Jamie and me had to use the motion tab in the viewer to alter the size of clips. After changing the size of the clips in the viewer, we learnt that we had to select the view in the canvas to Image & Wireframe to be able to move the clip on the canvas to allow other clips to fit onto the canvas. To allow another smaller clip to be put onto the canvas I had to add another track to the timeline and put the clip onto that then go through the same process of making it smaller and adjusting it’s position.

With the multi-screens, we also used the motion tab to create movement of the clips within the canvas. Again, we had to teach ourselves this. We did this by selecting the clip that we wanted to move and at the beginning of the clip we would add a keyframe, then we would select a place on the timeline where the clip would stop it’s movement and add another keyframe. Then we would go to the first keyframe, add a centre keyframe and then move the playhead back to the second keyframe, then drag the clip on the canvas to the clip’s desired destination. This was a very creative decision of ours because we haven’t seen it done before, but we believed it was necessary to make our film as interesting and chaotic as possible.

Another skill that I developed technically was using the Sony HVR - Z1E to film the footage. The main reason that I chose to use the Canon HVR Z1E was so that I could use the fisheye lens that stores had available for that particular camera. I wanted to use the fisheye lens because it would allow me to create more interesting shots by creating distortion. Not only was I unfamiliar with the camera, I was also unfamiliar with shooting onto tape. I overcame these problems by taking the skills that I had learnt in the cinematography workshops with the Canon XF100 (all of the settings that I had learnt about on the Canon XF100 like the gain and use of zebras were all present on the Canon HVR – Z1E, they were just in different places) and applied them to the use of the Canon HVR – Z1E.

Another problem with using tape was getting the footage into FCP. Again, Jamie and I had to ask a technician from stores for help with how to use the tape transfer as we hadn’t learnt it in any editing workshops. Once the tape was in the transfer machine, we had to alter the Audio/Video Settings in FCP to Sequence Preset: 1080i50. Capture Preset: HDV. Device Control Preset: HDV FireWire. Video Playback: None. Audio Playback: Default. Once these settings were set, we would open the log and capture window which we would then play the tape through and using the ‘now’ button, FCP would ‘capture’ our footage and organise it into separate clips.

I think I worked very well as a part of a team. I believe that my role as sound recordist and cinematographer were vital to the end product of the film, although the editing side of the film was probably more challenging. I think that I brought a lot of creativity to the film with the creative decisions that I made such as using a fisheye lens. I also concentrated a lot on the framing of shots, so that the mundane actions that I was filming (like a drawer being opening and closed or a cup of coffee being slurped upon) looked more aesthetically pleasing.

I believe that I also helped I out with the editing side of the project and Jamie contributed to the recording of sounds and images. I took control of the computer at some points during the editing process and I helped Jamie work out how to create animations and multi-screens, and similarly, Jamie shot some of the footage and put his ideas for certain shots forward.

 Jamie and me contributed equally to the film, as we were both there together at every editing, filming, and sound recording session and we both had inputs into each other’s roles. Nyle however, had little imput, although he left the project part way through, only having done a bit of sound editing. Nyle wasn’t part of the group until I had recorded the majority of the sounds and he left before we even started filming, so he had very little imput.

My main weakness in terms of teamwork is my desire to do everything in the film, however I did not let this have an effect on the outcome of the film. I think that Jamie probably felt the same desire but he also didn’t let this effect the dynamics of the teamwork or the final product. We both had very similar visions for the film and similar ways of working, in terms of how willing we were to let the other participate in each other’s roles. I think that this willingness was a great strength of mine for this piece of work because it allowed us to express our ideas and ourselves as fully as possible.

I think I could improve my teamwork by trying not to interrupt the roles of others within the group. But I also think that this could have negative effects on the group because I believe that communication is key within a group project and it can be unhealthy to keep your opinions to yourself just because it is not concerned with your specific role.

Changing our idea

After spending time in the editing suite with Jamie, we realised that our original idea for the film was too boring and plain, it wouldn't catch the viewer's eye. So we decided to alter the idea slightly. Rather than having the separate screens nice and organised, we decided that we would make them more hectic, mirroring the dynamics and pace of the piece. Much like An Optical Poem Oskar Fischinger (1938), the images will fit with the sounds. However, we won't be creating a beautiful piece of film to fit nicely with music, we will be creating a hectic film to fit with a hectic sound piece.

Split Screen In Movies

In film, split screens are mainly used to show two characters' perspectives of something, often a phone call or different point of view in terms of place and action.

Here, the split screen is used simply, to show two characters having a conversation over the phone, it's very simple and does the job of showing both characters' reactions without having a cut.

Here, the split screen is used to show the similarities between the characters, who happen to be having a telephone conversation. This a more visually pleasing and interesting use of the split screen. However, in our experimental film, Jamie and me intend to go a step further and create a more interesting use of the split screen by using a great number of shots on screen at one time. The following screen shots give an indication to the sort of end product we will be aiming for.

By the end of the short film, I expect that we will have a screen full of tiny images, all with different footage looping. Hopefully, this will mirror the chaos our the sound piece and will add to the chaos that we have aimed to create.

Recluse final mix (Audio Piece)

Our final audio piece has a few changes from the original. We have made the sound more interesting, with more dynamic, texture and tempo changes. This means that the audience have more interest in the piece and are less likely to be bored by the repetition and 'randomness' of the sound organisation.

 As I spoke about in the feedback post, Jamie and me have added more sounds to the piece for example, a light switch being turned on and off, a clay pot being tapped, etc. We have also included a tempo change with the beat (created by tapping a radiator with a contact mic on it). Another thing we have done, is alter the textures of the piece by taking away sounds towards the middle leaving a vibrating phone as the only sound, then building the sounds back up to create the sense of chaos again.

Final Cut Pro 7

To achieve split screens in Final Cut Pro, we had to use the motion tab on the viewing screen. This allowed us to alter the size of the clips in relation to the canvas. it also allowed us to create animations within the screens, so that the could move to allow other screens to fit on to the canvas. After a great deal of practise we managed to 'master' the art of split screening.

Here is a screen shot of the Final Cut Pro 7 document that shows the number of video tracks that we have used, along with the motion tab in use, creating an animation.

An Optical Poem

An Optical Poem - Oskar Fischinger (1938)

An Optical Poem is a beautifully creative film that shows off a technically brilliant style of animation. The way that the shapes arrive on and move around the screen creates a sense of completion and calmness. The sounds heard are reflected by the shapes on screen as if a mental image, this style really creates a sense of beauty. About four minutes in, the shapes start rotating around each other, giving the image a real 3D feel, which again, reflects the sounds as the music flowing in circles almost. An Optical Poem really is what it says on the tin. Beautiful.