A Flirtation With Painting

While writing about various form of art that inspire me, I thought I would take the time to mention my personal favourite painter. I have always preferred a more classical style of painting rather than abstract pieces (Surrealism e.g. Dali excepted), and as such I am particularly drawn to the works of Jack Vettriano.

Of all his paintings, my personal favourite was decided when I spotted a print, rare as it was, of There's Always Someone Watching You in a shop window. It caught my eye immediately with its striking composition; the flatness of the image created a dynamic between characters which conveyed strongly an imposing sense of fear, mystery and tension.

The venetian blinds cleverly disguise the identity of the man in the painting, and create a partial silhouette, strengthening his presence along with the way that his body hangs over the woman, framing her entirely within himself. Additionally, the choice of male in a dominating role lends a sense of sexuality to the image. The small gaps through which we see buildings outside creates a desire to see more, and as a result conveys the feeling of being trapped inside. The arrangement is made more powerful by the difference in height between subjects, and the static posture of each suggests silence, tension and uneasiness.

This is further complemented by the symmetry of the image, with horizontal and vertical lines running in parallel giving a rigid structure. The inclusion of objects such as an ashtray, cigarette and dishes both help to set the scene and suggest interrupted activity, furthering the aforementioned static effect and allowing the observer to imagine events beyond this moment depicted in paint. 

The hard lighting creates dark shadows and allows a strong contrast, surrounding the woman with dark areas. In addition, the contrast of warm and cool colours punctuates the transition between an ordinary moment in a comfortable environment and the imminent threat posed by the male figure. Contrasting a bright exterior with a dull interior also accentuates the unsafe feeling we can relate to with the female figure.

After studying the painting I actively searched for other works by the same artist, and his works inspired an aesthetic and setting which I plan to utilise in a future short film. The compositional techniques Vettriano employs also continue to be an invaluable source of reference and inspiration.

An immersive sense of space: John Frusciante - The Empyrean

Not so long ago, I kept a personal blog containing my musings on a range of subjects. Looking back, I was reminded of some important musical influences that inspired me. Here's just one of the albums that drives me creatively, the amazing John Frusciante's The Empyrean.


Below, I've added to some comments I made on the album long ago:

It was with Frusciante's own recommendation of listening to this album that I first played it, loud through surround-sound speakers, in a dark living room without distractions. Far beyond just expanding your auditory experience, The Empyrean aims to expand your mind itself. A truly psychedelic sounds contrasts a calming and somehow humbling effect, in long tracks such as ‘Before The Beginning’ and ‘Dark/Light’, while Frusciante’s guitar-playing mastery shines throughout. An unparalleled set of songs both in terms of careful choice of sound and simple elegance, The Empyrean is an album that simply cannot be overlooked. I have always been inspired by the reverberation and depth of each piece, and the slow build-up of beats and melodies Frusciante frequently uses.

Whether creating music or not, I feel that any audio piece can benefit from the non-verbal advice given to us by The Empyrean. Frusciante has clearly spent a lot of time refining the sound into perfect harmonies, and in doing so provides a lesson in sound design itself.

In a broader sense, each piece of music immerses the listener in a soundscape that takes them away from their actual location to a space elsewhere; the details of what space this might be are left for you to decide. In doing so the listener is provided with their own plethora of images and associations, creating a truly inspiring environment in which the images we hold onto in our minds are projected into the music, and likewise new images are formed in our heads.

I am fascinated by the way The Empyrean creates a sense of space, and will attempt to explore some of the same dimensions in my own audio project as Frusciante does so effectively throughout this album.

Speak Easy at the HUBS

On Tuesday night I attended the 'speak easy' event at the HUBS in order to see a housemate perform his own poetry. This was the first I had heard of the event, so I wasn't sure what to expect other than poems spoken by writers.

I was surprised and impressed by the range of performances to be seen, including two musical performances and a variety of writings of various types and tones. The prevalent genre was comedy, with a strong variety of tongue-in-cheek verse often criticising the state of affairs in the UK or commenting light-heartedly on such broad topics as the growing violence of Eastenders to the failed writing of a novel.

I found the event inspiring in the way the best poems conjured images in my mind; I couldn't help but visualise them as sequences to be placed in a film as I sat and absorbed a unique form of art. Though the event was shorter than expected due to a poor turnout, the performances remained numerous enough to provide continuing inspiration.

Though I prefer to express my own poetic notions through the medium of film, having attended the event I would definitely consider supporting it in future and engaging in a different art form altogether with my own performance.

Audio Project: A Sense of Space - Initial Ideas

For the audio project I am working with Jordan Deakin. Our idea (mostly Jordan's initially) is to record a wide variety of sounds from a primary school. We then plan to manipulate those sounds in order to provide a false sense of space which speaks instead of a prison environment.

We plan to meet and discuss as many potential sounds as possible, and as suggested by Dom in our tutorial yesterday, we will plan out a general progression of sound that we will create, specifically formulating ideas for the opening, middle and ending of the piece.

In order to manipulate sounds we will undoubtedly utilise pitch shifting, e.g. a playground full of children playing, at a lower pitch, could sound like a prison riot when combined with other chaotic sounds such as a school bell, moving furniture and with any luck the shouts of teachers (who perhaps serve as wardens).

As we will have limited access to the school in question, we will be very particular about certain priority sounds we must record, and then manage our time when considering other additional sounds that may arise on the day(s).

Week 16 Audio Pieces

Meat Factory Ear Worms

This documentary piece told its story through the use of a voice-over; it was a personal account of life working in a meat factory. The use of atmosphere was effective in creating a sense of space, and its crowded presence of a multitude of sounds gave a strong sense of chaos and the narrator's uneasiness, although I felt that more affecting and disturbing noises could have been utilised given the location. A recurring and effective sound is that of knives being sharpened; through its familiarity and harsh sound the listener is made to anticipate the next event. By using particular music familiar to the narrator, we are given a sense of time as well as space, and experience first-hand some of the feeling of escape it provides from the harsh atmosphere used through the documentary. A theme emerges quite evidently of endurance through unpleasant circumstances. A particularly interesting technique is the use of silence in order to punctuate the sounds that precede it and follow it; a haunting and anxious feeling is created when combined with meat factory sounds.

Child of Ardoyne

This documentary also uses a great deal of speech to tell its story, although this time that of several different interviewees. An immediately noticeable feature is the score; haunting music instantly sets an unsettling tone and suggests a more negative subject matter. Through the personal accounts of interviewees, we are more heavily impacted by the recounted events of the past (violence relating to differences in religion), and given a further sense of place by an insight into various different people living in Ardoyne. A theme emerges of regret for the past, not only personal regret but regret for the actions of others in what is seen as an ignorant period of time. A sense of space is also created by the atmosphere track; in several places we hear children playing, which immediately gives a sense of peaceful surroundings and a predominantly outdoor environment, as well as a sense of community between speakers. The use of archive recordings is interesting in that it helps to give a sense of time and adds further context to what the listener hears.

Blue Veils and Golden Suns

This piece is very abstract in contrast to the above two. It uses no speech, only a musical rhythm created by a variety of unusual and somewhat unfamiliar sounds. In this way it presents an empty canvas onto which the listener projects their own sense of imagined space, rather than accepting a strict location as dictated by certain sounds. A cloister bell rings predominantly throughout the piece, adding a strange feeling of depth and wide open space. Overall the piece builds from a single sound to a much more complex orchestra of music; an increasing sense of drama is created in this way. Due to its ambiguity we can only guess at the theme, but we are provided with the freedom to wildly speculate based upon our past experiences of such fiction genres as science fiction and fantasy. The piece is long enough that the listener transitions from accepting that a meaning has not yet arrived, to actively searching for meaning and analysing the sounds they hear.

The Sound of Sport

Immediately in this documentary we are met with the familiar sound of tennis rackets making contact with a ball, followed by a range of sounds so familiar it is unlikely we ever realised we took notice of them at all. In this way we are given a strong sense of the subject matter even before we hear any kind of voice-over. The narration itself explains the subject in more detail, leading us through very specific ideas rather than providing ambiguity. The use of music in the piece is interesting in that it immediately speaks of the place he mentions: Atlanta. Though none of the listeners in the room had been to Atlanta, our exposure to mass media from the USA gave a sense of familiarity nonetheless; an interesting manipulation of our interaction with television and other media. Along with the sounds of sport, the voice-over itself is what tells the story; sound effects and atmosphere help the listener to picture what is being said and give a positive feel due to their familiarity.

A Walk Through The City

This piece utilises a very narrow range of sound. In fact, it uses only the sounds of passing aeroplanes layered over the top of one another, seemingly in order to communicate a fairly specific point that is, without the title, extraordinarily ambiguous. A sense of space is provided, but it is somewhat misleading; the expectation of an airport is at odds with the title of the track. The low frequencies emanating from the aeroplanes (or manipulated in post) add drama to an otherwise simple soundscape, and the sounds flow smoothly together in a slightly rhythmic and audibly pleasing way.

Way back in October...

 

On October 22nd, I was in Stoke-On-Trent for a music video shoot with Free Running Films. Having worked with them before, it was an ideal and comfortable situation in which to contribute effectively to the production while also learning from it.

The band was Akkadian, a 'Blackened Death Metal' band from Northampton; reflecting the extreme style of music allowed for some very stylised lighting.


I found many aspects of the shoot inspiring, including the use of various gels to create swathes of expressionistic colour around the location. Behind the band, we utilised Red gels to create an aggressive but eery backlighting and cast the entire back wall in crimson. For front light (both key and fill) we used Full CTB gels to create a stark contrast and a greater separation between the musicians and the wall behind them. Our primary lighting equipment consisted of several 800W Redheads, although we supplemented this with several smaller lights.

In terms of camera work and shot choices, we used a wide angle lens from a close distance in order to give many of the shots a barrel distortion effect. The camera was mounted on a Flycam, giving fluidity to movements and allowing sweeping cinematic pans and crane-like movements. After some wide masters, we covered each band member in close-up, with a slightly longer focal length in order to prevent too much of a warped image.

The location itself was also particularly inspiring; an old disused warehouse provided an eery and aesthetically pleasing look, although such locations tend to be popular for 'metal' genres of music. The many floors gave a variety of interesting rooms and layouts, with striking yellow walls in places creating very inspiring surroundings. There was a great deal of junk lying around all over the place, while broken windows and cracked walls, floors and pillars showed a sense of destruction and disrepair. Though we shot primarily on one floor, after wandering the other areas I found myself generating ideas in my mind, and would definitely consider such a location for a shoot of my own, circumstances permitting.

After this shoot, the next opportunity to work with FRF will probably be on another music video in January, this time for a post-punk band.

Notes on the Edale final cut

Having taken on board the feedback for our rough cut, we made a number of changes when editing again. First of all, we cut down some of the longer shots in order to increase the pace, as well as cutting out some other shots which we felt were unnecessary for the narrative. It was difficult to decide on removing some of the more aesthetically pleasing shots, as we had to weigh up whether they enhanced or detracted from the film overall.

Having cut down on length initially, we then added a further sequence to the ending, adding closure through the use of a darker grade to reflect a later time of day, along with other clues as to the time (clock, indoor and outdoor lighting). In order to truly 'end' the film, we decided to bring the narrative full circle, utilising shots reflecting those at the beginning.

Though there are still some shaky shots and imperfect compositions, I feel that we have raised the fluidity and quality of the film with our final cut, overcoming technical problems (e.g. media failing to properly reconnect even when showing up in the browser as connected) to produce an effective reflection of our initial ideas.

Notes on the edit, Rough cut feedback

For the edit, our first plan was to create an increasing sense of pace throughout the film, intercutting walking footage of the rambler with the actions of residents of Edale (e.g. pouring a pint in the pub). For the rough cut, however, we stuck to a simple narrative in which each sequence of indoor shots takes place within the almost-real-time of the piece as a whole.

Our main feedback for the rough cut was the sentimentality of the film; the straightforward narrative created the sense of a tourist video, rather than something more original and artistic. In this way we also strayed away from our initial concept a little, with less depth than we could potentially add to the film. Another note was that the ending did not close the events effectively, with only a fade-out effect determining this closure.

For the final edit we would like to introduce a more disjointed timeline in order to break away from a tourist-like feel. In order to do this, we will review alternative rushes and alter the pacing of each cut to better suit our first ideas for the film.

Evaluation of Edale shoot

Based upon our intention, I feel that the Edale shoot was successful. We gathered a large proportion of footage, which has allowed us slightly more options in the edit, while leaving enough time to ensure the quality of our shots.

The style of shooting was informed by both the perspective of a character whose main action was walking through the village; we used mostly handheld shots. In retrospect, we could have used a tripod for a few more shots, as some of our footage is somewhat shaky. However, in our planning we anticipated this, and allowed ourselves freedom to keep a loose camera in the knowledge that we could slightly stabilise it in post-production.

Some of the most successful shots were the macro shots we took throughout the day; the shallow depth of field afforded by our choice of camera (an HDSLR) gave a particular beauty to the details of various subjects.

Less successful, though, were some of the handheld shots, which were somewhat shaky. As aforementioned we have planned to use some image stabilisation in post, but it has become more difficult due to the particularly unstable nature of some footage.

Shooting Medium/Recording Format and other notes. (Edale)

For the Edale shoot, we decided to shoot on HDSLR. We made this choice based on the shallow DOF afforded by these cameras, the ease of use which allowed for 'run-and-gun' shooting on a limited schedule, and the high quality HD format.
We utilised a zoom lens at a relatively wide angle (Canon 18-55mm), in order to maintain as much stability a possible in handheld shots and to allow ourselves freedom to quickly adjust focal lengths.



In order to create moving shots (i.e. those following the rambler), we took along a skateboard. As placing a tripod directly onto the board may have caused too many vibrations and bumps to be transferred to the camera body, we elected to stand on the board holding the camera in the hopes a body would absorb many of the shocks and allow for increased stability in the footage.

Edale Shot List, Inventory of Kit

Our original shot list for the Edale shoot was created once we had secured locations.

1. Medium shot; following rambler
2. OTS; rambler walking
3. POV of rambler; walking through Edale
4. Medium CU; rambler; from front
5. Wide shot; rambler heads towards hills
6. Wide shot x 3; Edale
7. Medium CU x 3; actions of residents
8. CU x 3; actions of residents
9. Insert shots

We also made a quick inventory of kit needed for the shoot.

- Camera/Tripod
- Tapes
- Dolly
- Rain Cover
- Cast (Rambler)
- Costume
- Props; Compass, Map, Walking gear, Rucksack

Edale Research

After creating a concept, we began to research the Edale area. Having never had a chance to visit the area before, we began by taking a look at the tourist website for Edale: http://www.edale-valley.co.uk/

We then longlisted a number of locations based on the website's listings of facilities in Edale, and their proximity to the train station. In order to get a better idea of the layout of the area, we ran a search on Google Maps, and utilised both the map and satellite features before looking at each longlisted location in further detail with street view and the various photographs available.

Based on our new findings we created a shortlist from the longlist, and went back to the Edale Valley tourism website in order to gather contact details for each location.

Happily, we found that the owners of these locations we very open to us filming in their respective establishments, and after setting aside time for outdoor shooting we scheduled with them the following times:

2.00pm - The Old Nags Head Inn

2.30pm - The Post Office

3.00pm - The Penny Pot Cafe

Edale - Initial concept

For the Edale Portrait of Place project, I worked with Olivia Riches. Our initial concept for the film was as follows:

As a rambler arrives in Edale, we follow her through the village, catching glimpses of the everyday lives of its residents. From the intimate surroundings she emerges into the wide open free space of the Hope Valley. A contrast is drawn between the great outdoors and the bustling cafes and pubs.


In order to achieve this, we planned to use an actor along with various items of costume (e.g. coat, rucksack, walking boots).

At first, we intended to simply show the actions of various Edale residents, but quickly concluded that the inclusion of a character to take the viewer through the narrative would be clearer and more effective.

Backtracking

Having not managed to post all of the stuff I've wanted to over the last 2 weeks, I'll be backtracking and posting a lot all at once. First of all relates to the Edale project, followed by some news and photos of the bits of extra work experience I've been involved in.