Thursday, 10 July 2014

Assessment 4: Q&A with dying man from the short film 'Short Stop on the Way'





When were you happiest?

When I was alone in my car away from everyone cruising down the highway
What is your earliest memory? 

When I saw my mother shoot my father in the head
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? 

My uncontrollable anger
What is the trait you most deplore in others? 

People that are judgmental
Property aside, what's the most expensive thing you've ever bought?

A chainsaw
What is your most treasured possession?

Double barrelled shotgun
What would your super power be? 

Teleportation
What makes you unhappy? 

Freedom
What do you most dislike about your appearance? 

My finger prints
Who would play you in the film of your life?

Sadam Hussein
What is your favourite book? 
'Life After Death' by Damien Echols
What would be your fancy dress costume of choice?
A free man
What is your guiltiest pleasure? 
Going into my neighbours houses when they are not in
What do you owe your parents? 
Nothing.
What or who is the greatest love of  your life? 

I don't do love
What does love feel like? 

Non existent
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

No one
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Leave me alone or else...

If you could edit your past, what would you change?

The way I have hurt people
If you could go back in time, where would you go? 

Back home... my real home
When did you last cry, and why? 

That's personal.
How do you relax? 

Again that's personal!
How often do you have sex? 

What is it with these questions!!!
What is the closest you've come to death?

When they tried to get me the first time
What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Escaping death row
What keeps you awake at night? 

The sound of electric bolts
What song would you like played at your funeral?
Snow Patrol- If I lay here (chasing cars)
What is the most important lesson life has taught you? 
Whatever you do, never get caught.

Sunday, 6 July 2014

Assignment 3: Task 2

The four films i have chosen to compare are;
1. "Ah l'Amour"
2. "ColourBleed"
3. "Mac 'n' Cheese"
4. "The Owl"

How is colour used and represeted in these 4 films?

CHARACTER:
2. In the short "ColourBleed" the young female character who is the main character is used to present the rarity of colour. The young female character is always seen to be alone throughout the short in comparison to the other characters in the short who represent darkness who are often seen with a companion. On the other hand the elder lady who worked behind the desk represented darkness as less vulnerable than light and in a negative view. This was shown through the woman's miserable and unwelcoming facial expressions and body language, which could also be seen in some of the other characters who represented darkness.
3.The short film "Mac 'n' Cheese" focuses on two main characters which are both represented differently through most of the film. The slimmer male character is seen wearing brighter colours and has a light pale face in the film, also seen to be running away from the larger male character which presents him as a victim to the large male character. In comparison to "ColourBleed" the only form of companion the young girl has is the colourful bird however in "Mac 'n' Cheese" the slimmer male has the larger male. the young girl in "ColourBleed" represents colour, represented as a victim and has a sense of innocence similar to the slim male in "Mac 'n' Cheese". the older lady in "ColourBleed" represent darker colours and is portrayed negatively similar to the larger man chasing the slimmer man in "Mac 'n' Cheese".

NARRATIVE:
2. In the short "ColourBleed" a young girl is going through her life not conforming to the dark ways and appearance of society however, until one day she come across an evil elder woman who did not like the colour the young girl possesed. Therefore the elder woman implanted darkness into the young girl. As the young girl attempted to remove the darkness from her she began to bleed various colours which we later find is similar to all the people who lived the that city of darkness. As the young girl's blood fills the drains of the city, the city begins to brighten up and the miserable old lady does not like this.
3. The short film is about two opponents attempting to outrun each other in the southern desert, stopping at nothing, wearing each other out until they are forced to push the boundaries and take illegal substances to keep them going for longer. In comparison to the short film "ColourBleed" it could be said that this short film is a lot more positive as although the two animated characters are running away from each other, a sense of companionship is presented. The end of the film end on a positive note as it is revealed to us the larger male character does not want to hurt the other character, he's just playing the game 'tag' with him. This is different to the short film "ColourBleed" as it represents the bright childish colours of the film.

CAMERA TECHNIQUES:
2. The high angle shot showing the young girl in action spray painting a colourful wall showed us the audience colour in a positive view as a close up on the girls face showed happiness and enjoyment. The slow motion shot of the colourful bird flapping its wings really captured the beauty of colour and showed colour to be versatile and unique as all the shots representing darkness were ordinary and lacked creativity and innovation.
3.

MISE EN SCENE:
2.The young girl's hair is light blonde and contains highlights of vibrant colours, also her face makeup has a light tone contrasting with the dim and dark faces of the other characters. Additionally the girls costume is again contrasting with the other characters in the short as they all predominantly wear black and she wears burgundy knee-length socks, a bright blue vest top, red cardigan and a light-blue washed denim jacket. Addidng to her appearance she has a few tattoos which contain colour and some obvious piercings which completely differ from people we find wearing dark clothes. The representation of colour at this point is that light ad dark are complete opposites to each other. The prop of the colourful bird in the window which is also tattooed on the young girls neck is a friend to the lonely young girl and this symbolizes the idea of war between the light and the dark, also the fact that the only form of a friend the young girl has is a bird.
3.

LIGHTING:
2. The lighting in "ColourBleed" is broad and inconsistent during the short as there is an attempt to present colour in two ways; light and dark. In order to do this high key lighting was used for the young girl in scenes such as the beginning when she is spray painting the colouful wall and low key lighting was used in scenes to show the presence of darkness. An example of this is when the young girl's hand begins to turn black.
3. This film differs from "ColourBleed" as it is an animation there were no specific uses of animation throughout the film.

EDITING:
2. In terms of editing for the short "ColourBleed" a shot that stood out for me instantly was the shot at the beginning when the young girl stops spray painting and the words "ColourBleed" appear and vibrant colours, then begin to deteriorate in colour and melt off the wall. This is significant as it resembles the narrative of the short film as the young girl started off bright and vibrant until she was affected by darkness.
3.

SOUND/MUSIC & DIALOGUE:
2.A the beginning of the short the ambient sound of the sirens cause an element of fear for the young girl who represents light colours. The diegetic sound of mild bells playing at the point when the girl is queuing in the line and sees the bird outside the window creates a change in mood, giving a pleasant feel of hope. This particular sound is also synchronous as the bells and the birds movement correspond.
3.



Short Film (family)

Father And Daughter


Short Film (about desperation)

I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness - "The Owl"




Short Film (about beauty)

Colour Bleed