Advanced Art of Video
Production Portfolio for
Come Back
Alexander L. Davis
Session: May 2012
Individual Rationale:
Come Back was created in the intent of portraying a film most likely characterized as science fiction. Interestingly, it took a while to find an appropriate method to convey the genre; as I pitched several versions of the step outlines before the general concept was accepted. The movie developed rapidly by trial and error as we altered certain unclear areas. The choice of genre was made clear immediately, however, and reasoning for such genres is quickly understood. It has come time that humorous subjects are no longer strongly revered to in our class, and I believed it was necessary that our film reflect this evolution of genres.
Word Count: 107
Individual Rationale (Trailer):
The trailer embodies the film’s genre, and does so by focusing on the audio. Simply using a steady drone creates suspense, which is then highlighted by the cacophony created at the end; creating a climax. The choice of dialogue fits with the drone, yet does not necessarily match the visuals, created in order to show two story lines at once. This allows for the audience to understand the basic story line and receive a glimpse of the suspense that will be involved in this film. Intensity is also conveyed with this arrangement, as the amount of tension between scenes displays the character’s anxiety; which ultimately is transferred to the audience.
Word Count: 110
Individual Commentary:
Collaboration between myself and my group member allowed the original script to be created, yet serious alterations were necessary to alleviate viewer’s confusion. From this point, it was necessary to revisit reasoning behind certain events in the plot and revise. We created a new plot line that experimented with several variations of the story, as well as considered several methods to portray the information; through ways such as vocal narration. We decided against this, and chose a more traditional method of storytelling, as we considered the efficiency of simply showing the ways the characters are affected by the certain scenarios inflicted upon them. Vocal narration would distract from this emotion creation, and make the film seem more comical. This comedy was not a goal from any perspective, as the genre we were aiming for would not be interpreted well by the audience. The audience would most likely feel further confusion if we redirected away from the plot in any significant ways.
After several attempts, we found the proper combination necessary to generate the balance identified as a science fiction film. This final interpretation was created into the treatment and script; which -in comparison to the creation of the final step outline- was created quickly. Once this was green-lighted, it was understood that I would be partaking in the edit of the film, while Jonathan would ensure the position of cinematographer. We continued the scripting, and followed the normal processes following the script to achieve a two-column script. This allowed us to experience some form of audio and dialogue scripting, as identifying set scenes allowed us to compensate for certain abilities.
A few days before the original shoot date, I was told that our previous arrangement would not work due to emergency situations. We were forced to postpone the filming until the following weekend, which felt jeopardizing. Nonetheless, the movie was not seriously affected by this, as location scouting occurred during that week. We found a family willing to donate their home and time for the film in San Ramon. Pictures were taken on Friday and uploaded to an online server for them to be posted on the website. Simply looking at the images suggested this location would perfectly suit our filmic intentions, and we were looking forward to beginning the filming portion. The home was located relatively near to a forest location, which would allow the script to be filmed quickly. Our primary location would not have been as efficient.
Next we focused on the filming. I signed out an HFM camera, as it was suggested to me by Jonathan. We used a simple shotgun mike and boom pole for audio, and a tripod. We had decided to make as many adjustments as possible from the camera on every shot in order to have a repertoire to chose from. This was suggested by Jonathan, and I believed it was extremely appropriate. For this project I used my own SD drive in order for the editing to be done on several devices, all coming from the original footage. We also devised a few blocking procedures based on the scouting images in order to decide camera placement beforehand. Once it had been decided that we were to film at this location, these blocking diagrams provided us with a sense of comfort, as we decided what should be omitted from the scene, such as the extra bed in the room scenes, beforehand. This granted us options as to arrangement of the props and actor locations.
On the day of the shoot, we were aiming for completion by the end of the day, so that we would be able to edit everything the following week. We had given ourselves a buffer space consisting of the next day in order to ensure we would obtain the needed footage. Nonetheless, the sheer travel time necessary to arrive at the location was daunting, and we wished to keep the commuting to a minimum. The filming went well, streamlined by the PreProduction work. The blocking diagram was very useful, as we were quickly able to use the proposed camera placement to film exactly what was scripted. Exterior filming was very successful as well, as we used the selected area during the location scouting. The exterior shots around the home were successful as well, yet we decided to film in an early time of dusk, as proposed by Jonathan. This was in order for the camera to be able to see the actors, and allow us to darken the footage later. By doing so, we were actively lowering the changes of having to eventually making the footage spotty of grainy.
My preferred shot was an outdoor one, when Quinn discovers the footprints. I heavily emphasized this scene with music in order to convey the suspense, and was pleased when my little brother watching the first draft of Come Back started to “feel nervous” around this time. The sound truly sells the shot. Following this observation, I created similar variations of the Drone-Suspense sound I had found on Final Cut Pro using GarageBand. I simply reversed the audio for one of the changes, the second was made by altering speed and pitch. This audio generation constituted the majority of the necessary soundtrack for the film, as it was sufficient to create the aspect of the genre. Once I had created this series of sounds, I shared them with Jonathan for his version of the trailer. I also explained how this was done, so that further changes could be made to the originals.
With this film, I hope to expose myself to the genre and explain to my audience that I am willing to undertake the challenges linked to this type of filmmaking. I feel that Jonathan and I collaborated well, while certain circumstances kept us from hypothetical perfection. We enjoyed the experiences of this project, as I truly began to understand the difference between comical films from more suspenseful movies. Jonathan’s cinematographic work was exemplary, and this was quickly incorporated into the final edit. We would have liked to include the originally conceived opener, yet the still images of the family were not acquired on time. Instead, the plot relied on Quinn’s dialogue when he first encounters his mother.
(QUINN:
“he reminded me so much of dad”
MOTHER:
“I know you miss him”)
This dialogue had been created as a back up in the case that the opener was not successful. We were fortunate to have filmed this scene, as we now need it to convey the plot.
I believe I will continue to pursue this genre of filmmaking, as it invokes the most emotion from an audience. However, I hope to evade any attempts at the incorporation of melodrama into these films. Suspense is more invigorating when the audience is not necessarily feeling empathy or pity for the actors. Just as the genre must be maintained throughout a movie, the creation of Come Back has made me want to continue producing short films with the same genre. I look forward to the following movie, so that I can re-experiment with the genre and see where it brings me. But I will always come back.
Word Count: 1,199
